Dr. Roy Cornwell

Leonard Roy Cornwell, 93, was called Home on July 17, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering faith and commitment to his Lord, which he demonstrated in service to his family, students, and friends.

Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 pm Monday, August 3, 2026 at Parkway Baptist Church.

Roy was born on March 29, 1933, and raised in Bolton, England. He graduated from Birmingham University with a Bachelor of Science in Material Science. Roy served in the Royal Air Force where he excelled as a pilot and flew one of the first fighter jets, the Hawker Hunter. He then worked for Rolls Royce in a research capacity. Upon moving to Hamilton, Ontario, he worked for Hamilton Steel. He earned his PhD in Materials Science in 1969 at McMaster University where he met his wife, Kulla, who was studying Nursing Science. They were married at the Estonian Baptist Church in Toronto on May 15, 1971, and moved to College Station, Texas, where Dr. Cornwell taught Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University for 30 years. His career included a Fullbright scholarship to teach at the University of Nairobi (1988-89) which made for a thrilling year of intercultural discoveries for the entire family. From 2006-2008, Dr. Cornwell and Kulla lived in Doha, Qatar, during his teaching post at Texas A&M-Qatar. As a keen Christian witness, Dr. Cornwell was on the leadership committee of the Christian Faculty Network, an official campus organization whose purpose was to host notable Christian professors and apologists who espoused a Biblical worldview, such as Dr. Hugh Ross, astrophysicist and founder of Reasons to Believe.

As a founding member of Parkway Baptist Church in 1976, Roy served in multiple roles including Sunday School teacher, deacon, choir member, and children’s volunteer. He and Kulla were active participants in the Adopt-an-Aggie program through the church, inviting students to their home several times a month. International students were also frequent guests to Sunday lunch through Roy’s university connections.

Roy is predeceased by his brothers, Raymond and Rendle, and their wives Mildred and Dorothy in England. He is survived by his wife Kulla, sons Jonathan, Jeffrey, and Ian Cornwell and his wife Amy, and children Caden, Cael, and Case; also, daughter Kristine Haynes and husband David, and children Josiah, Aubrey, and Nathaniel.

Memorials may be sent to Reasons to Believe (reasons.org) or the American Center for Law & Justice (www.aclj.org).