Bruce Vincent Roach

He earned a bachelors and a masters degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and an A.M. and Ph. D. in English from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972.

He taught at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri; at Washington University in St. Louis; at Southern Illinois University in Alton; at Angelo State in San Angelo, TX; at Texas A & M in College Station; and came to Stephen F. Austin State University in 1968 where he taught until retiring in 1990 as Professor Emeritus of English.

He was a very popular teacher who prided himself on never having a student fall asleep in class and popularized the "Roach Approach to Writing a Freshman Theme Paper."

He was a long-time member of the East Texas Archeological Society and a life-long lover of music. He not only played most stringed instruments but crafted various flutes and stringed instruments of unusual materials. He had a National Endowment for the Humanities grant in 1977 to study ethnomusicology at the University of Washing in Seattle and made many life-long friends there.

He leaves his wife of 54 years, Gatha Velica Hargis Roach; his daughter, Velicia Bergstrom of Colfax, LA; two sons: Chris

Roach and wife ,Marie, and Eric Roach of Austin; one sister, Diana and husband Ed Ferguson of Arlington and Phoenix; two aunts, Madolyn Markham of Fort Lauderdale and Sara Lee Evans of Athens, OH; two grandson: Dale Jones of Giessen, Germany, and Carter Roach of Austin, TX, and three granddaughters: Mirandy Matlock and Brandy Bragg of Nacogdoches and Kaityln Roach of Austin along with six great-grandchildren and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.

Donations may be made to the Texas Archeological society at www.txarch.org.

At his request, there will be no funeral but a celebration of his life is schedule for June, 2, 2012, at his home at 815 Sarah Ann in Nacogdoches from 3-5 p.m.