He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings (Raulston, Ralph, Katherine, and Kenneth).
He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years Mary Combs and children: Billy Combs (Callie Gray), David and his wife Stacie Combs, Anthony and his wife Karen Combs, Heath Griffith and his husband Ken Godlove, and Holly and her husband Phillip Quist. Grandchildren include Caroline (John) Dansby, Bailey Combs (Jonah Smith), Payton (Grace) Downs, Lilly Quist, and Eli Combs. And several great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. He is also survived by two sisters – Marilyn Combs and Vicky Morgan (Bobby Raymer).
Roy served in the U.S. Army in South Korea where he developed his life-long hatred of rice. In 1973, Roy began his career with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department where he rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant and retired after 28 years of service in 2001.
He made the most of his 22 years of retirement training to become a masterclass fisherman and became a Florida snowbird where he continued to craft his love of golf. He and Mary took many road trips to camp at a variety of places around the country, spending as much time as they could at the beach and with their family.
Roy spent many years as a valued member of Wayside Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon and an elder and attended faithfully - even learning how to Zoom so he could live-stream sermons during the pandemic.
There will be a visitation on Thursday August 10th from 4-8 at Chattanooga Funeral Home – North Chapel.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday August 12th at 11 AM at Wayside Presbyterian Church 2502 Fairmount Pike, Signal Mountain, TN. A graveside service will occur immediately after at Chattanooga Memorial Park (the Duck Pond) at 501 Memorial Drive, Chattanooga TN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wayside Presbyterian Sanctuary Fund or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com for the Combs family.
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