Carl F. Roy

Carl F. Roy died unexpectedly October 21, 2022, at the age of 98.  Raised in Newport News, Va., he was the perfect Old-World gentleman, and a wonderful man.  Quiet, intelligent, modest, caring, a great conversationalist, and able to tell a joke with a perfectly straight face, he was always pleasant to be around.  He concealed a medical condition that might have prevented him from serving when drafted into WWII.  When offered an exemption, he refused, going on to serve from 1943-1946 with the Army 140th Ordnance Base Automotive Maintenance Battalion, in England and Belgium.  On D-Day he witnessed the planes flying overhead to Normandy all day.  After an honorable discharge as a Staff Sgt., he learned to fly, and then got his mechanical engineering degree from VPI in 1950.  While working with the R. Hugh Haynes Company, he met the love of his life, Sally Lawson, with whom he shared 60 happy years of marriage, until her death in 2020.  Together, they had two children, but he was also ‘Dad’ to many of their friends.  Carl and Sally opened Williamsburg, Mechanical Corp., a commercial plumbing and HVAC company that helped build many of Williamsburg’s hotels, restaurants, and schools.  He retired in his 70s, but ran the house, and continued to help Sally at her CPA firm until prevented by a medical emergency in his 90s.  Among his many hobbies his favorite was golf.  He was a constant learner, great teacher, and a lover of cats, who loved him back.  Carl was predeceased by his wife, Sally, his parents, Boswell Glenn Roy and Minnie (Mimi) Folkmann Roy, his brother, B. G. Roy Jr., and sister, Millicent Roy Gilley.  Carl leaves behind his son Andrew (Phyllis) Roy, daughter Melanie Roy, brother- and sister-in-law Jon Lawson and Millie Arthur, dear friend James ‘Buck’ Graham, many beloved nieces, nephews, friends, and even a few grandpets.  In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral.  Donations may be made in his memory to your local humane society or animal shelter, the Virginia Living Museum, or Virginia Symphony.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carl F. Roy, please visit our floral store.