Normand Raymond Roy

A memorial mass honoring the life of Normand Raymond Roy will be held at 12 PM on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church located at 522 East Flournoy Lucas Road, Shreveport, Louisiana. The mass will be concelebrated by the Reverend Rothell Price and the Reverend Duane Trombetta. As a fallen Knight, Norm will be honored with a full ceremonial Guard of Knights of Columbus from the Bishop Daniel F. Desmond Assembly, Knights of the Fourth Degree, Council #324.

Normand, age 80, of Shreveport, Louisiana, died Wednesday, January 9, 2019, due to complications from diabetes. He was surrounded by his loved ones.

Norm, as he was known, was born December 1, 1938, in Fall River, Massachusetts to Lena (Brisebois) and Raymond (Ray) Roy. On May 6, 1961, he married the love of his life, Joan Almeda Roy and was a loving husband, father, and pépère for 57 years. Together Norm and Joan have four children and seven grandchildren: CJ and his son, Christopher Lucas, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Paul, his wife Sandy, and their daughters, Kim and Cristi, of Celina, Texas; Peter, his wife Cynthia and their sons, Peter Andrew and Matthew, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and their daughter, Andra Roy Chernack, her husband, Greg and their sons, Ben and Andy, of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Norm is survived by two brothers, Roger Roy and his wife, Kathy, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts and Paul J. Roy, of Fall River, Massachusetts as well as a host of nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews. Norm is predeceased by his parents and his brother Maurice Roy.

Red, as his dad called him, was born in the family home and grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. A product of a catholic education he graduated from Monsignor Prevost High School in 1956 and attended Bentley School of Accounting and Northeast University in Boston. In May 1960, Norm stopped to assist a driver stranded by a flat tire on the Fall River Expressway. Exactly one year later, Joan and Norm were married and off on their life adventure together starting in Hartford, Connecticut. CJ and Paul were born in Hartford (Thompsonville), and Norm was recruited by Junior Achievement to become an Executive Director. He was assigned to Lake Jackson, Texas and there added number three son, Peter. In 1967, Norm was assigned to Shreveport, Louisiana. After three boys, Norm and Joan prayed for a little girl for their family and finally--the caboose, Andra, arrived.

Upon locating to Shreveport, Norm ensconced himself in a whirlwind of religious, social, and civic organizations. A man of tremendous faith and believer in the power of community, he became a member of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Mary of the Pines, and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parishes. At each parish, Norm was an active member serving as Lector, Diocesan Master Lector, and Lay Eucharistic Minister. His deep-seeded Catholic beliefs led to his involvement and many leadership roles in the Knights of Columbus (KC). Rising through the ranks of First, Second, Third and Fourth Degree Knight, he was a member of various local councils affiliated with the parishes: Broadmoor (St. Joseph’s), Holy Rosary, St. Mary of the Pines and St. Elizabeth’s. He belonged to the Men of Manresa and annually participated in a silent retreat. The friendships created and grounded in the Knights of Columbus and the Men of Manresa brought him great joy. His other numerous social and civic affiliations included the Shreveport Kiwanis Club, the West Shreveport Club, the South Shreveport/Summer Hills YMCA, Civil Air Patrol, USAF Auxiliary, First Aerospace Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, where he attained the rank of Captain. Recently, Norm served as a board member of the Brunswick Place Home Owners Association. Norm was commissioned a Louisiana Notary Public for Caddo Parish and was active with the organization. He was certified and well known as a regular election poll worker in the 56 precinct.

After serving as Executive Director for Junior Achievement, Norm started out on his own venture in real estate. He became a licensed real estate agent and broker/co-owner of Roy Real Estate. Norm specialized in right of way and residential appraisals, frequently called to serve and had a passion for providing expert legal witness in numerous court cases. He was member of many professional organizations: Shreveport Board of Realtors, Louisiana State Board of Realtors, National Realtors Association, Louisiana Appraisers Association, and Master Appraisers Institute. He was active in all these organizations and advocated on their behalf.

Norm and Joan chose to send their children to Holy Rosary School, St. Vincent’s Academy, and Jesuit, as it was known, now Loyola College Prep. Supporting the schools providing the parochial education he valued so highly, Norm was a volunteer extraordinaire working countless bingo nights, the Holy Rosary Louisiana State Fair booth, the Annual Jesuit/LCP Stag Steak Night, Booster Club events, and served as a member of the Jesuit High School Board of Trustees. He was always quick to lend his culinary skills and expertise to all the organizations he belonged whether it was flipping pancakes for the Kiwanis Club or directing the cooking festivities for a cochon de lait for the Knights of Columbus.

The family wishes to thank the following for the excellent care and compassion provided during his final days: Dr. Jonathan Davis, his cardiologist; Dr. Randy del Mundo, primary care physician; Dr. Pratap Reddy, Chairman of the Cardiology Department at Oschner LSUMC MICU/SICU, Dr. Carlos Previgliano, the residents, nurses, and staff, and especially Dr. Jessica Chong for her kindness.

Thank you for the fellowship, support and prayers from many, many friends too numerous to include here. Deepest thanks to our good friend Charles Gholson and Centuries Memorial Funeral Home who have extended our family incredible care and kindness during this difficult time.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Roy Family Scholarship at Loyola College Preparatory High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. To honor Norm’s life of service, this scholarship is being established to provide financial assistance to students who would otherwise not be able to attend LCP. For more information, please visit https://www.loyolaprep.org/lcpdonate/donate.