Roye Austin Livingston Powell

Powell, Roye Austin Livingston, age 92, formerly of Brooklyn, NY and most recently Leesburg, Florida peacefully passed away on March 21, 2024.

Roye was born on September 20, 1931, in Jamaica to Cyril Percival Ford and Cicilyn White. Roye spent his time in Jamaica during his young years as a mechanic. As a mechanic he used to frequent the local sugar factory to get refined water for the batteries he serviced. He would go to the chemistry lab and see the work they were doing there. This is when he knew he wanted to be a chemist. In 1954, he traveled to England and there received his college education and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. While in England he also spent some time working on railroads, as a store helper, and a mechanic.

In 1965 he returned to Jamaica and worked on the creation of continuous logging forms and supplies for business computers and then eventually with Federated Pharmaceuticals and the Caribbean Preserving Company in Kingston, Jamaica as a chemist. After receiving his visa in 1968, he migrated to the United States and settled in New York. While there he worked at the Movie Lab as a chemist and had the opportunity to meet with many of the current movie stars and work on the production of the films. As time progressed and movie making became more digital, Roye left the industry and bought an old burned down building on Rogers and Maple Street in Brooklyn, New York. This became Step N Laundromat. Through the laundromat Roye served the community for 45 years. He made many friends, helped those in need, and became a mainstay of the neighborhood. Roye was also known for his love of music and was affectionately known to neighbors and his CB radio fans as DJ Roy.

He retired at the age of 90 and became a snowbird spending half of his time in Florida with his family during the year. After a significant medical decline in 2023 he lived permanently with his daughter, Maxine until his peaceful passing in March of 2024.

Roye is survived by his daughter, Maxine Harris; his granddaughters, Nichole Dawkins, Sophia Harris Allen, Natasha Haughton; his 14 great grandchildren; his siblings, Hugh Ford, Denzel Ford, Cyril Ford (Deceased), Bruce Ford (Deceased), Dorothy Maxwell, Claudette Legowik-Reid, Veronica (Aunty Girly); and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service for Roye will be held Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, FL 34734. An interment will occur Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, FL 34734. A public visitation will occur Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, FL 34734.