Roy Lessmann

Roy L. Lessmann died at 2:29 p.m., on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at Royal Manor Nursing Home, in Waco, TX, at the age of 87. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 3, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Drive, Waco. Burial with full military honors will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Section 5L, Row 6, located at LaSalle and 5th street in Waco. The public is encouraged to attend. The family will receive visitors 2 – 6:00 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, at the funeral home.
Dr. Barnett delivered Roy to his parents in Marlin, Texas, at 2:20 p.m., on the 28th of April in 1929. He is the third child to Ben Lessmann and Adeline Kuretsch Lessmann. In 1934, at the age of five, Roy began his formal education at McClanahan, Texas. The two-room school house taught grades one through seven.
He joined the United States Air Force in August of 1950 at Waco, Texas. On Halloween night, 31 Oct 1951, he sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, aboard the U.S.S. General Meiggs, to join the United Nations Forces, for the duration of the Korean War. He served two and half years in the Combat Zone. The President of South Korea awarded Roy the “South Korean War Service Medal.”
While stationed in “Occupied Japan” Roy received a GED diploma from Marlin High School, Marlin, TX. He returned to the United States in April 1954. In 1955, Roy was assigned to James Connelly A.F.B. Waco, Texas, where he “cross-trained” from the Logistics Career Field and into the Aircraft Maintenance Career Field. As the Stand Board Flight Engineer he trained, supervised and ensured top proficiency from twenty-six flight mechanics. He received Air Crew Wings in 1961.
Roy was assigned to Elmendorf A.F.B. Alaska in 1963. His first assignment, during this four-year tour, was as an Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent. The last two years of his tour, he was an Aircraft Maintenance Production Control Supervisor. He arrived at Stewart A.F.B., Newburgh, New York in 1967 as Chief of Aircraft Maintenance Control. He was selected for promotion to Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) in 1969 while assigned to Perrin A.F.B. Sherman, Texas, as a Production Control Superintendent.
Roy spent many hours of off-duty time attending, on a part-time basis, a total of seven Colleges and Universities in pursuit of a college education. He returned from active duty in 1971. He was now a college junior, and free to enroll, for the first time, as a full-time college student. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Southeastern State in Durant, Oklahoma in 1972. He was then forty-five years young. His fellow students nicknamed him “Grandfather.” Roy was older than his professors and the only veteran in his class.
In 1973, he joined the Internal Revenue Service in Austin, Texas. He accepted an offer as a Program Analyst and transferred to Headquarters 12th Air Force, Bergstrom Air Force Base Austin, Texas. In the spring of 1980 Roy became Director of Management Analysis at Castle Air Force Base in Merced, California. In 1983, Roy left the Air Force, after thirty-two years of Air Force Service, to “set himself free from the time of day and from even the day itself.” “No calendar and no watch” became his best friends. Roy was now free to explore the dream of his life. The dream to be a full-time self-contained RV traveler, also known as a Snowbird, finally came true. The “Snowbird Lifestyle” continued for twelve years. Roy has lived in each of the fifty states plus Washington D.C. and seven foreign countries. His favorite hobbies include scuba diving, dredging for gold, commercial salmon fishing, snowmobiling and sightseeing.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents; Frances Lessmann, his former wife; brothers, Marvin Lessmann and Harold Lessmann; and sisters, Dorothy George and Verna Rachui.
Roy is survived by his son, Daryl Lessmann and wife Sherry; daughter, Brenda Harris and husband Steve; brothers, William Lessmann and Wayne Lessmann; sister, Evelyn Feldman; grandson Rodger Harris, many nieces, nephews and cousins; and family friend, Victoria Winburne.
Roy enjoyed a full life. He died a happy man and sends a big smile to all.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul Cemetery Association, in memory of his mother, Ms. Adeline (Kuretsch) Lessmann, CR 105, Box 1806, Riesel, TX, 76682.