Roy French

Roy Lee French,68, of Belton passed away on Sunday, November 26, 2023, after a five-year battle with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia.

He was born April 18, 1955 in Midland Texas to Charles Roy French and Evelyn Munds French. The family moved to San Saba, Texas shortly after his birth where they made their home. He started hunting and fishing with his dad at a very early age and enjoyed being outdoors.

He played baseball in little league and all -stars but wasn't very good at it. He played all sports in junior high and high school. He lettered in Varsity track all four years. Football was his best sport where he was an all-district player and was crowned Mr. Football in 1972. After high school Roy attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville. He left Tarleton after two years stating the longer, he went the dumber he felt.

He returned to San Saba and went to work for Roy Gene Bagley doing farm and ranch work and harvesting pecans. Roy Gene taught him a lot about all aspects of agriculture.

In 1978 Bobby Inman helped him get his start working offshore for Brown and Root. He worked with Bobby for about six months. Brown and Root brought in a huge derrick ship from the North Sea named the Ocean Builder. Roy was transferred to the Ocean Builder where Bert Holland was his boss. Everyone liked working for Bert. If you made a mistake, he would sure let you know about it, but after explaining what you did wrong, he would never bring it up again. While with Brown and Root Roy worked in the Gulf of Mexico, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and finished up his Brown and Root career in Brazil.

In 1990 Billy Don Edmondson and Bob Ivy helped him go to work in Alaska. Roy worked in the North Slope oil field as an iron worker and later as a pipe fitter. Roy loved to hunt and fish there in his spare time and lived in Alaska for nine years.

Roy returned to San Saba in 1999 to help care for his parents who were both in poor health. He went to work for Kenny McCarty at Golding motors and worked there for ten years

In 2009 Roy moved to Belton Texas and went to work for the Bell County Sheriff's Office. He worked at the jail as a corrections officer. Roy really enjoyed working and there a got along with almost all the inmates. The inmates nicknamed him old school because he didn't tolerate any foolishness, but did always try to find time to listen to them and help solve problems or concerns they had. They say the lord is everywhere and he was even in the jail. In 2018 after listening to a JAIL ministers sermon Roy was born again and tried his best to live a good Christian life. 2018 was also the year he was diagnosed with leukemia, Roy continued to work in the jail until COVID raised its ugly head and changed the world as we knew it. Roy retired from the Bell County Sheriff's office in June of 2021 and spent most of his time in A private family service will be held at a later either Port Aransas or Rockport.

Roy is survived by his sister Shirley Springer of Belton, Nephew Jesse Campbell and wife Holly and their children Colton, Braxton and Carsyn of Hutto, Texas. Jordan Springer and his daughters Carmen and Evelyn of Keene, Texas and Tanner Springer from Maryland.

Services are entrusted to Crotty Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Belton.