Mr. Leyvas receives his U.S. military funeral honors and committal service on September 25, 2020 at 10:30AM at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.
His memorial ceremony will serve as a loving reunion of sorts. His mother and father, Maria and Raymundo, were also laid to rest at the beautiful desert burial grounds years ago.
When Maria Macias Leyvas said goodbye to her husband Ray as he left to serve as a Wold War II soldier, she never imagined that one day she’d have to send her youngest son, Roy, to fight in Vietnam.
She did both with dignity and courage.
Maria, known to her family as Mary, always remembered that day in Santa Ana, California. Mary and her eldest daughter, Yolanda, stood on the station platform and hugged Roy tightly before he climbed aboard the railway car bound for basic training. Roy was 19.
That date was July 23, 1965.
He had graduated from Phoenix Union High School only a year earlier. He attended Phoenix College before volunteering to serve in the 7th Marine Regiment in Vietnam.
During a notable 4-year military service, he learned aircraft mechanics, completed aerial gunnery school in 1967 and then eventually Roy Leyvas became a Jet Helicopter Pilot rising to the rank of Sergeant.
During one particularly dangerous flight mission in Vietnam, Roy was operating a helicopter when his unit was ambushed. While trying to shield a younger soldier from shrapnel, Roy was injured.
For his heroism, the U.S. Government awarded Roy Leyvas a Purple Heart.
The Purple Heart Medal is bestowed upon brave service members wounded by enemy action. The origin of this distinguished honor can be traced back to the beginnings of our country and our nation’s first President.
As George Washington wrote back in 1782, “The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with a due reward.”
Mr. Leyvas not only received a Purple Heart but he also won several other military decorations during his tenure as a marine: Good Conduct Medal (First Award), Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
“I am proud of my Dad because of his service to this country,” says Roy Leyvas Jr. “His service in law enforcement [where he served as an officer in the Arizona Sheriff’s Department from 1985-2008]. This is what I want people to remember him by. He sacrificed early in his youth and was forced to become a man – to serve our country. And he left a piece of himself in Vietnam.”
Like many Latino men of the generation, the Vietnam War tore at the fabric of their families back home in the states.
Yolanda Leyvas Najera, Roy’s big sister, recalls “When Roy was shipped off to Vietnam, I remember [my mom] falling apart. Understandably. She would always be crying and worried. It hurts to talk about it. She got through it somehow. She would say: I feel so bad that ‘Se me junta el cielo con la tierra.’ Meaning ‘my world just ended.’ [Once after a short leave], I remember seeing him get into that plane with no windows. Can you imagine the pain?”
“She’d pray every night for him,” agrees little little sister Linda Leyvas Redondo. “She would tell your Tata Ray, “Rece un rosario para el Roy.” Pray a rosary for our son. Tata Ray would nod his head. I never saw him cry. He would get serious and quiet. Normally, he’d be making jokes with all his laughing and joking and talking.”
But eventually, Roy Leyvas would make it safely home from Vietnam and just like his dad, would continue to tell a lifetime of jokes. Making friends and family alike smile and bust up with laughter at weekend poker parties, holiday dinners, large dance hall gatherings and even relaxing at home. After the pain of surviving the war settled a bit, Roy Leyvas was soon able to turn to the laughter, fun pranks and jokes that were always a part of who he was since childhood.
“When he was in trouble as a little boy for oversleeping for school, our mother would yell out ‘Rogelio, es tarde llevantate!’” says Yolanda. “They would let me get a squirt bottle to go squirt him in the face and I would be all happy. I’d go and squirt him in the face… he would rub his eyes and make a face.”
“Well, he was always picking on me,” laughs Linda, known to family as Chiqui. “Brown Bear.
I didn’t know what to call him. To me he was tall and dark. So I called him Brown Bear. He called me ‘Cochotas.’ He hovered over me, always teasing me! He would tell me I needed two dresses sewn together to fit me! (Laughs.)”
“He would tease me about my cats!” says Yolanda. “Where are your cats? Are you going to go see your cats? He meant whoever I happened to be dating at the time. Whoever would be prowling all around at the time. I think he was actually always trying to protect us girls, but he did it with humor.”
And now, a delightful walk down memory lane with his children, grandchildren and an occasional nephew - just for good measure.
ROY LEYVAS JR.:
“My favorite memory of my Dad was working with him at his pillow factory next to Nana and Tata’s Phoenix Mattress Factory. Making pillows. We’d wake up super early and go to the Park-and-Swap and set up. We’d sell pillows and mattresses all day. Then we would go to Bill Johnson’s Big Apple for lunch. We’d both order bacon and eggs with a ton of tabasco. Like father, like son! For some reason, he even got me to like sprinkling salt on watermelon.”
MORGAN LEYVAS:
“My dad really loved music, he introduced us to the Beatles at a pretty young age. And I think everybody knew he was funny, but I'm not sure everybody knew how much he wanted to make things okay. Like if I was having a bad day, he would go out of his way to cheer me up. He was easy to talk to. And no matter what the problem was or advice that I needed, he would go out of his way to make it right, even if it's something stupid. Like I had to go to work and have a flat tire. You know, by the time I got home, yeah, he let me use this car and by the time I got home, he got the tire fixed. It was just, you didn't even have to ask him for things. He just wanted to be helpful. And he was very protective. And he wanted to make our lives easier. That made him feel better. But he did. He's always been somebody, that I could turn to and he would go out of his way to help. Always. And I know not everybody will feel the same way, but I'll miss that the most about him.”
MARCOS NAJERA:
“My Uncle Roy got me into sprinkling a little salt into my orange juice! Like making homemade Gatorade, he would say!”
GABRIEL LEVYAS:
“He’s had a truck he’s loved since I was born. He’s always promised it to me. The truck was like, originally broken. The engine was completely shot and he replaced the end. it's just kind of nice to have it since it’s mine now. I try to keep it, keep it up and make sure it sounds good. Make sure everything's running well. It's a white Ford F-150 and the inside. It's all leather. And it has like and it has an old radio, and when you go in, it has, like the smell of like not a new truck but a nice leather, clean truck, And it's always really nice going into the truck because it's always a memory of my Tata because I miss him so much. So being with the truck is like being with Tata. Especially the music we play on the old radio.”
JAYCOB LEYVAS:
“The advice my Tata Roy gave me was about football. I would ask him because in middle school it was it was hard to play football because we didn't have a lot of good players. And I was quarterback. And the people that protected me were not very good at it! And I told him I was like, ‘Have you ever had a situation where your line was bad and people weren’t protecting you?’ He said yeah s I asked him ‘Well, what did you do?’ He said, ‘Either drop back and throw quickly or go to the side and throw quickly because there's nothing really much to do with either one of those two. But you have to understand you cannot be afraid of them. If you are afraid, they will, they will eat on you. They will feed on you they will literally destroy you. So you have to be to be fearless. You got to know the game and you got to play the game. Just let it flow.
The last game that we played, it was our last game that we won. And the thing on the last game he was sick and he was already in the hospital. And we've never won a game. I wished he was there so I could just tell him I listened to him because I knew he would be proud of me.
But I finally got to go and tell him at his bedside “Tata! It worked. You were right Tata, I won the last game! And I hope he heard me. We won!”
STEPHANIE LEYVAS:
“A favorite memory I’ll always have of my dad was when we were still in elementary school. At Cordova. I remember I was in first grade and I had this horrible teacher. She was just this mean wretched old witch. And she tried telling my mom and dad that I have like a disability or a handicap because I was left handed! Left-handed! Can you believe that?And I can remember she would make me stay in for recess and try to force me to write with my right hand. I can remember my hand hurting. Well, my mom said that I had never been a bed wetter, but when I was in that teacher's classroom, I was having nightmares. I was wetting my bed. I wasn't wanting to go to school.
So then I remember being in the principal's office with my dad and my mom.
I don't remember the conversation in detail, but like my next memory of that is we're in the mean teacher’s classroom. And you know, those desks were little. I remember my dad literally picking up my desk cause I had all my stuff in it and taking me to the classroom NEXT DOOR! And then I was in Mrs. Capp’s class. I loved Mrs. Capp! But I’ll always remember him picking up my desk, taking it, putting it in the new classroom. And I feel like, like he made the clouds go away and suddenly the sun was shining and everything was just like wonderful. Like he saved me, you know, so yeah, like a superhero. That's a good memory that I have. I've always remembered that one. That was love.”
Mr. Leyvas is survived by his children: Marina Leyvas Keith (54), Roy Leyvas Jr. (50), Crystal Leyvas-Ginther (48), Stephanie Leyvas (43), Morgan Leyvas (37) and Rozlyn Leyvas (35). His grandchildren: Dylan (22), Lil Roy (14) Michael (13), James (17), Jordyn (15), Jaxson (13), Gabriel (17), Jaycob (13), Jesse (27), Marina (21), Clint (33) and Eric (28). His siblings: Rudy Leyvas, Yolanda Leyvas Najera, and Linda Leyvas Redondo. His former spouses: Kristen Leyvas, Cecilia Spencer and Gloria Varella-Edmunds. And several other family members who will always loved our Uncle Roy, including the author of this short story–his nephew Marcos Nájera.
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Roy Macias Leyvas Committal Service
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
09/25/2020
Remember Me
Speak of me as you have always done.
Remember the good times, laughter, and fun.
Share the happy memories we’ve made.
Do not let them wither or fade.
I’ll be with you in the summer’s sun
And when the winter’s chill has come.
I’ll be the voice that whispers in the breeze.
I’m peaceful now, put your mind at ease.
I’ve rested my eyes and gone to sleep,
But memories we’ve shared are yours to keep.
Sometimes our final days may be a test,
But remember me when I was at my best.
Although things may not be the same,
Don’t be afraid to use my name.
Let your sorrow last for just a while.
Comfort each other and try to smile.
I’ve lived a life filled with joy and fun.
Live on now, make me proud of what you’ll become.
© Anthony Dowson
Good morning, and welcome; my name is Becky Hinton, and I am honored to be the Funeral Celebrant today, as we gather together to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Roy Macias Leyvas.
Thank you for being here for this important moment. You touched Roy’s life in your own special way and, in return, you are here to bear witness to the impact he had on you. We are here to laugh and cry, to share stories about his life, to acknowledge that Roy left an imprint on your heart and to express gratitude that he made a difference by being in your world. These few moments are your time to reflect, to cry, to gather strength from each other and to carve a space in your heart for those memories to live on.
Washington Irving said “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.”
Let us pray:
Almighty God, you love everything you have made and judge us with infinite mercy and justice.
We rejoice in your promises of pardon, joy and peaceto all those who love you. In your mercy turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life, and the sorrow of parting into the joy of heaven; through our Savior Jesus Christ, who died, rose again, and lives for evermore. Amen.
Focus on happy memories of Roy, as we pause for a song.
Song - “What a Wonderful World”
Roy Macias Leyvas was born November 17, 1946. He grew up with three siblings. They lived in a modest, two- bedroom house; Roy and his brother, Rudy slept on the floor in the front room, his sisters, Linda and Yolanda shared one bedroom, and his parents slept in the other. His parents went through the Depression, so they saved and repurposed everything, and Roy grew up to collect and save items as well.
After graduating from high school, he saw a billboard advertising the Marine Corps and decided to join the military. The recruiting photo depicted a tough looking guy, smoking a cigarette, and it reminded him of the “Marlboro Man”. He had never had any inclination to sign up, until he saw that advertisement. He learned order and discipline, and flourished with the structure and routine. Roy trained in the infantry, and then went on to flight school.
After earning the title of pilot, he was tasked with the dangerous job of flying in to pick up injured marines. Roy proudly served his country, and he completed two tours in Vietnam. He sacrificed a great deal, during those four years. Many ugly memories remained with him; one of those extremely painful encounters was that he had to train another pilot to take over his position in the helicopter, so he could go back home. Immediately after Roy switched seats with his trainee, the young Marine was shot and killed. Roy was devastated, and he carried pain from the war for most of his life. He didn’t address his PTSD until he was in his late 60’s. After separating from the military, Roy found a position at the Sheriff’s Department, where he remained for more than two decades.
Roy loved listening to music and was a fan of the oldies. Those songs from the 50’s and 60’s. He always blasted them in the car while on road trips. He was a huge Beatles fan, and after returning from the military, he played guitar in a band, where they played tons of Beatles cover songs.
Roy married Kristen and they had two beautiful daughters, Rozlyn and Morgan. He was a very strict father; Morgan still remembers getting in trouble with her Mother, and then being woken up at 2 am, by her father yelling! He demanded respect, and expected his daughters to know how to behave.
Roy loved Mexican, Chinese, Seafood, and he put Tabasco sauce on everything. He was a great cook— known for making tacos, hot salsa and Mexican food. He loved grilling steaks, chicken and kabobs, and enjoyed roasting onions on the grill as well. He was old-fashioned in that he expected the girls to eat what was in front of them. Morgan and Rozlyn tried a huge variety of food, because of that.
Roy’s favorite holiday was Christmas. When the girls were young, they exchanged gifts, played games and celebrated with his family until 1 or 2 am. After arriving home, the kids were allowed to open one gift-back then it was always new pajamas! On Christmas day, they celebrated with Kristen’s family. Roy was so excited about giving lots of gifts. There were probably ten a piece!
When Rozlyn and Morgan were young, he took them on road trips up north. They’d stop for lunch, and then go tent camping and fishing. He even cooked the day’s catch over the campfire! They’d set up camp in very remote areas, so there were no outhouses. He got a kick out of playing jokes on the girls, and tried to scare them with wild stories. On one occasion, the girls headed off to relieve themselves, so he got into position in order to frighten them, but he tripped and fell on his face, so all they heard was Dad swearing!
Roy was very protective of his daughters. A couple times, boys arrived on his doorstep, wanting to talk to Morgan, and he answered the door wearing his Sheriff’s uniform. He had no problem saying, “No…you can’t talk to her”. Dad’s rules were, “you can’t date until you’re 16, and I have to meet the boy first”.
At 20 years old Morgan, was a student at Northern Arizona University, and she was very surprised and upset to find out she was pregnant. When she broke the news to her father, he didn’t react well at first. In fact, he didn’t speak to her for a month, but after the initial shock wore off, he was thrilled! He even surprised Morgan with a little onsie he’d picked up in Laughlin, Nevada.
He and Kristen were very supportive, and when baby Gabriel arrived, Tata was the first one to come into the delivery room and hold him. They’ve had such a connection, and Gabriel went to Tata’s house instead of daycare. Three years later, Morgan gave birth to a second son, she named Jaycob.
Roy truly evolved as a person when he became a grandparent. Tata was much more patient, kind and calm with Gabriel and Jaycob. The boys behaved well, because they didn’t want to disappoint him. Tata included them in everything, and he taught them to grill, make salsa, put oil in the car, how to change a tire and many other life skills. They taught them to shoot at the gun range, he took them on road trips, where they fished and stayed in cabins—just like he’d done with Rozlyn and Morgan.
Jaycob is extremely interested in sports, statistics, players and coaches, and he and Tata were very competitive while watching sports together. Roy was a Chicago Bears fan, and Jaycob loved to harass him by referring to them as the Cubs!
He loved the beach and enjoyed visiting San Diego several times. Last September, he spent a week seeing Disneyland, Sea World and the beach. He travelled to Laughlin (once, every other month) where he enjoyed the food and gambling. His favorite way to relax was by playing blackjack and the slot machines.
Roy also relished celebrating birthdays-especially his own! He milked it for an entire month! He and Morgan shared birthdays in November, so it was no surprise he’d usually celebrate in Laughlin, Nevada!
He was thoughtful and generous, and loved giving gifts; he’d say, “I saw this, and thought you’d like it”. As the girls grew up, he wasn’t as sure of their likes, so he then said, “Pick it out, and I’ll buy it”.
In addition to gambling, he enjoyed model cars and airplanes, chicken foot dominoes, board games, and poker, which he taught his daughters and grandsons. And, he was extremely competitive, so if he didn’t win, he’d say, it was because, “Someone was cheating!”
He liked reading the newspaper and Western Novels. On television, he was obsessed with Law and Order and probably watched 1,000 episodes. He also liked MASH, Columbo, and The Bob Newhart Show. When it came to movies, he liked military ones—featuring John Wayne; he was always up for suspense, but whenever he saw a scary movie, he’d start talking halfway through it!
He was also incapable of whispering and had absolutely no “inside voice”. He had fun poking fun at people in public, which of course embarrassed Morgan; she said, “Dad, they can hear you”! Roy had no filter, but almost everything he said was hilarious! He had nicknames for everyone. He said silly things like, “Never trust a smiling dog.”
After 22 years with the Sheriff’s Department, Roy took a position in Security at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Roy was never content to sit, so after retiring from the airport, he stayed busy completing projects around the house. He would have been happy to work forever!
Roy longed to have a bulldog or a pug he could name, Sarge. Several months ago, Morgan, Gabe and Jaycob welcomed a little pug they named, Sargent Pepper. His presence has been such a wonderful blessing during their time of grieving. In fact, the pup often does things that make them say, “Tata would love that!”
I would like to share the following on behalf of Gabriel:
“He always wanted to teach us new stuff and was always there when we needed him. He stood by his rules, and that was to put always family first. He spoke his mind at all times!
He was the definition of a gentleman, never gave up on people, was very straightforward-he would sometimes coddle you, but he always spoke the truth. I don’t know what I’d do if I never met Tata.”
I would also like to share a message from Jaycob:
“A father figure. I grew up almost my whole life without a father, and all I wanted to do was play catch, watch football, and for him to understand sports and the bad times. When I moved in with Tata, he did all of that, and it was amazing, and (to be honest) when he died, it felt like I lost two dads."
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have made each of us in your own image, and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you. We thank you for Roy, the years we shared with him, the good we saw in him, and the love we received from him. Now give us strength and courage to leave him in your care, confident in your promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Just as each fingerprint is unique, no two are the same, it is the same for the impact that our lives have on others. Each of us has a unique soul, and every time we come into contact with others, we leave our soul print. Now we will each leave our fingerprints upon Roy’s casket, to remain, blend together, and forever signify the impact and soul print his wonderful life has made upon our soul. This soul print upon our life has touched us each in a different and unique way, which will remain, as we carry these memories in our hearts.
Your handprint is that of love and friendship in honor of Roy’s life, and to the belief that, “a life shared is a life to never be forgotten.” If you would like to participate, please come forward, and place your hand upon Roy’s casket. This will conclude the service and thank you all for coming.
Songs - “In My Life” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
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