Roy McCoy Jr.

Roy was born on March 14h, 1943, in Corpus Christi, Texas, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Roy and Dorothy McCoy. He and his brother, the late Robert McCoy, grew up in Corpus Christi. He loved his childhood in Corpus, where he played sports and raised homing pigeons. Roy graduated from W. B. Ray High School in 1961, where he met the love of his life, Sally Trader.

Roy attended Texas A&M University in Kingsville before transferring to The University of Texas in Austin, where he received a B. S. in Chemistry and Microbiology. On August 5, 1967, Roy and Sally were married in Corpus Christi, then later moved to Houston, followed by Montgomery, Texas. Along the way, they raised two sons, Derek and Robert.

Roy’s first job was as a research chemist with Baroid Industries. As a side job, Roy worked part-time for his local water district. He loved the outdoor work and independence of working for himself, and when the opportunity arose to take over the environmental testing for the water district, Roy and Sally jumped at the opportunity to build their own business. North Water District Laboratory Services was started in 1974 and continues to be a leader in the Water and Wastewater testing business in the Houston area and beyond, thanks to their hard work and dedication.

In addition to his work at NWDLS, Roy was proud to serve his community as President of the Montgomery County MUD 8 Water Board and as a member of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District.

When not building their business, Roy enjoyed all things outdoors. He loved saltwater fishing, particularly in Rockport and Port Aransas, with a bucket of cold chicken to eat out on the boat. Treasuring his memories of hunting with his dad in Dilley, Roy was thrilled to buy a ranch near Encinal so that he could share that experience with his sons and grandsons. When Roy was interested in something, he went all in on making it the biggest and best he could. As a result, McCoy Ranch has grown to include a thriving white tail deer breeding operation, improving the livestock on the ranch and offering enjoyment to all who visit the ranch.

When Roy could be persuaded to step away long enough, Roy and Sally enjoyed numerous trips together in Africa. He approached all of life’s experiences with enthusiasm and passion, always wanting to learn new things and to share his knowledge with others. He jumped at every chance to fly over the ranch in a helicopter with ranch management specialists, lay new water lines and make ranch improvements, and grab the wench to pull something out of the mud.

Roy leaves behind his wife of 54 years, Sally, and their two sons and five grandsons, Derek (and Whitney) McCoy and their sons, Morgan, Brooks, and Graham of The Woodlands, Texas; and Robert (and Carrie) McCoy and their sons, Hunter and Teal of Montgomery, Texas.

A memorial service celebrating Roy’s life will be held at Metcalf Funeral Home in Conroe on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to Living Water International, an organization that builds water wells in poor communities around the world: https://water.cc/donatehonor/

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