R. Roy Crockett

Roy was born at home on the 17th of October 1952 and passed through the veil at home on the 12th Day of April 2023.  He was born in Safford, Gila County, Arizona, and spent most of his childhood in Mesa, Arizona.  In his earliest years, one could see the traits that defined his life such as persistence and patience.  His love of trains was obvious by the time he was two. Living near the train tracks, he would run to watch them passing by. His mother ended up tying rope through his belt loops and tying him to a tree in the yard to keep him a safe distance from the trains.  A few years later, he found a damaged arrow and spent an entire afternoon repairing it with tape and glue and another day making a bow from a tree branch and a piece of string.  His sharpshooter skills and his craftsmanship were good enough to hit his little brother, Gary, who was running back and forth daring him to shoot him! Roy loved living in Grants Pass, Oregon in his teens.  He learned construction skills as he helped his father and the members of his church build the first Latter-Day Saint Chapel in Grants Pass.   Another family move found him graduating from Cedar City High School, Cedar City Utah in 1970.  

He was ready to explore the world and despite the Vietnam Conflict raging, he volunteered for the United States Air Force.  Roy’s first posting was at Williams AFB, Arizona which was a lucky one for him as he met the woman he would marry after a five-month courtship, Michele Lu Parkes, they had been married for 49 years at his death.  Their first two children, Trevor Shawn, and AdriAnne Raye were born.  Soon they packed up their little family and headed to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho where his second daughter, Lauren Marie, was born in nearby Boise.  Hoping to see more of the world, Roy requested an assignment to England, Italy, or Spain and that is how this family ended up at Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan! Making the most of his time on this little island, Roy enjoyed scuba diving and doing ride-alongs with his Marine helicopter pilot buddy.  While on Okinawa, Roy and Michele became foster parents for military family services. With his Okinawa tour complete, Roy requested a hardship assignment to Loring AFB, Maine so, of course, the Air Force posted him to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.  Roy and Michele were sealed for time and eternity in the Mesa Temple on their return stateside. Both Roy and his family enjoyed this assignment for nearly six years and completed the family with the birth of their second son, Iain Gerard.  Camping, Boy Scouts, and being licensed state foster parents, as well as foster parents for LDS Family Services kept them busy.  Despite spending all these years living in base housing, gardening was a constant.  He was often awarded Yard of the Month and even became a Jackson and Perkins rose test garden.  He was proud to always leave a residence better than he found it.  The Air Force assigned him to Luke AFB, Arizona, a mere two hours away.  This time he managed to talk them out of another Arizona posting and into his dream assignment at McChord AFB, Washington.  With a house full of teens, he served as a Scoutmaster, maintained an open-door policy for all their children’s friends, and earned his Airframe and Powerplant license during the day while working a nights full-time active duty.  Roy retired from the USAF at the conclusion of Desert Storm (Persian Gulf), having completed 20 years of service. 

Roy continued his career at Boeing and Alaska Airlines, settling down and buying his first house in Marysville, Washington.  Always working hand and hand with Michele, he was finally able to truly indulge his gardening skills by establishing and maintaining an extensive garden that was awarded the Snohomish County Backyard Habitat designation. Together they renovated their home with help from their children. Roy discovered the history of the Great Northern Railway. He loved hiking the rails to trails, visiting the historical sites, and reading about the railroad.  His open-door policy brought them two wonderful ‘borrowed’ daughters in Jenny Hughes Combs and Jennifer Prestegard Fairbanks and caring for his mother-in-law, Marjorie Harvey Parkes, in her final days. She called him her ‘Strong Man’.  He was blessed with two more ‘daughters of his heart’ with the marriages of his sons to Brandi Cripe Crockett and Ashley Callahan Crockett. His final retirement approaching, the dream to live in the mountains was achieved by building a home near the North Cascades National Park in the Methow Valley.  Roy’s ‘Santa’ belly and white beard made him the perfect Santa during the holiday season.  How he loved the smiles and waves from cars at stop lights to Costco shopping trips during the holidays where children, and a few adults, were amazed to find Santa was a Costco shopper. He and Michele took their dream vacation “See the USA in your Chevrolet” with their red Chevrolet pick-up and travel trailer in 2019, traveling from Washington to Maine to Alabama to Texas and home again through Arizona and Colorado.  Shortly after Roy’s retirement, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease after experiencing various symptoms over a ten-year period.  These symptoms meant adjusting his dream of hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail in the North Cascades with his brother, Gary, and his sister, Colleen. He was able to complete two miles of the three-day trip.   Two weeks after their epic hike, he was given the news that he had a very aggressive form of Renal Cell Cancer.  Both diseases are military service-connected.  Relocating to Nine Mile Falls, Washington, and leaving his heart’s home in the Methow Valley was another sacrifice he made for his family. Once again, his persistence and patience were demonstrated as he continued treatment longer than he needed for his beloved wife and family.  Roy was not one to talk about his faith in God and Jesus Christ, he was a man to walk in his faith and lead by example. His cancer journey lasted three years and when ready, he quickly and fearlessly took his final journey from the arms of his wife.

His parents: Wilford Woodruff Crockett and Carolyn Harms Crockett, brother, Harold H. Crockett, and sister, Nadine Crockett Munoz Hampton, predeceased Roy as did the loss of his daughter, AdriAnne Raye Dennison.

His family will continue to hold Roy in their hearts and honor him throughout their lives: wife, Michele L. Crockett; children: Trevor Shawn Crockett (Brandi); Lauren Marie Crockett Hansen; Iain Gerard Crockett (Ashley);  grandchildren: Kenna Marie Dennison; Camden Shawn Crockett; Aurelia Michelle Crockett; Helina Raye Hansen; Rhiannon Elizabeth Crockett; Mathias Keith Hansen; Rylend Davis Dennison; Adalyn Mackenzie Crockett; Elliott Reed Hansen; Bryson Hunter Crockett; Ewan Gerard Crockett; Andrew Paul Hansen; Evelyn Grace Crockett; Gemma Ainsleigh Crockett; and Samuel Kale Hansen.
 
Services:  Monday, May 1, 2023, at 10:00 AM
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
5001 W. Shawnee AVE
Spokane WA 99208

Interment: Monday, May 1, 2023, at 12:30 PM
Washington State Veterans Cemetery
21702 W. Espanola Road
Medical Lake, WA  99022
 
Luncheon at Family Home at 2:00 PM, May 1, 2023
(Address will be provided at the Service)

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the following:
August Mission-Humanitarian Recovery and Resettlement
info@AugustMission.org

Democratic National Committee (not tax deductible)
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/web-donate
Democratic National Committee
PO Box 96585
Washington DC 20077-7242