Roy Dozier Trest

Born in Conway, SC on December 21, 1948, he was the only child of Roy and Myrtle Lee Trest. He was the first member of his family to graduate from high school and was a proud member of the Class of 1966 of Shallotte High School. Roy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970.

At Carolina, he was a member of Delta Sigma Pi, and a blind date set up by a fraternity brother led him to meet his future wife, Donna. They celebrated 55 years of marriage in January.

After graduation, Roy enlisted in the US Army Reserves and worked as a manager for the carpet department of Sears & Roebuck in Asheville, NC until May of 1974.

In 1977, Roy earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. At Ole Miss, he interned with the District Attorney's Office as a 3L and prosecuted a multitude of criminal cases. He was a member of the Law Review and Phi Alpha Delta there.

After graduation, Roy returned to his hometown of Calabash and worked as an associate for Attorney Mason Anderson for two years. In January of 1979, he opened his own firm. In August of 1979, Roy was appointed District Court Judge for Brunswick County by Governor James B. Hunt, and was reelected in that position. In January of 1985, he formed the law firm of Baxley & Trest with law partner Douglas W. Baxley.

In January of 2005, Roy formed the partnership of Trest & Twigg, PLLC with his oldest daughter, Tonia. The initial office was located in the home that both he and his mother grew up in Calabash. In 2017, the firm relocated to Shallotte to the former Cape Fear Farm Credit building.

Roy's career accomplishments and contributions to the community were plentiful. He was a certified mediator and served on the Board of Governors for the NC Academy of Trial Lawyers (now NC Advocates for Justice). He successfully defended hundreds of DWI cases, multiple murder cases, and numerous criminal cases in District and Superior Court. He also had a successful civil litigation career. He received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 1984 and the Brunswick County Bar Association Hall of Fame award in 2011. Roy was a lifelong member of Shallotte Presbyterian Church where he served as elder and deacon.

Outside the courtroom, Roy loved to fish, whether locally, the Florida Keys, or Chesapeake Bay, and always listened to Jimmy Buffet music. He is survived by his wife, Donna; daughter, Tonia Twigg (Bill) of Shallotte; daughter, Jenny Perkins (Scott) of Wilmington; grandson, Caleb Twigg; and granddaughters, Faith Twigg and Grace Perkins.

Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Shallotte Presbyterian Church. An urnment will follow immediately at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church (McLamb-Anderson Cemetery) The service will be live streamed via Shallotte Presbyterian Church on YouTube.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at White Funeral and Cremation Service, 3660 Express Drive, Shallotte.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Brunswick County Bar Association for scholarship opportunities, c/o Brunswick County Courthouse, 310 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422.

Online condolences may be made at www.shallottefunerals.com

White Funeral and Cremation Service, Shallotte Chapel