Roy Joseph Sanchez

Roy was born on March 15, 1940 in Taos, New Mexico, the son of Toby and Charlotte Sanchez. As a young man, he followed his curiosity to San Francisco, where he worked, explored, and gathered the kinds of stories he would still be telling decades later. He went on to attend New Mexico State University, working a string of jobs along the way and learning, as he often said, the value of an honest day’s work.

In 1970, Roy made Pueblo, Colorado his home, and it would remain his home for the next 55 years. There he built his life, his career, and his legacy. For four decades, Roy served the people of Pueblo as an Allstate insurance agent — but to call him an insurance agent is to undersell who he was at work. Roy treated his clients like family. He remembered names, asked about kids, showed up when things went wrong, and built a reputation in this town that money cannot buy — one rooted in honesty, loyalty, and genuine care.

Outside of work, Roy lived fully. He was an avid racquetball player in his younger years, and he carried that same competitive joy into every game of poker he ever played with his lifelong friends — gatherings filled with sharp wit, tall tales, and decades of brotherhood. Above all, Roy loved music. He grew up loving the great voices of his era — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck — and he carried that love to the karaoke stage, where he would patiently perfect each song the way a craftsman perfects his work. To watch Roy take the mic was to see a man entirely in his element.

Roy was a man of remarkable character. He was kind without effort, generous without keeping score, and funny in a way that put strangers at ease and made friends laugh until their sides hurt. He saw the best in everyone he met, and he gave freely — of his time, of his money, of his attention. Even in his final days, his thoughts were turned outward: he was still planning what he could give to the people he loved.

He taught his sons, Rio and Cisco, the lessons he lived: to treat people well, to keep your word, to show up, to laugh often, and to love your family without reservation. Those who knew Roy knew a man whose love was unmistakable — and unforgettably expressed. To the people he

loved most, he had a saying all his own: “I love you more than frijoles.” It was small, it was funny, and it was everything. It was Roy.

He adored his three granddaughters — Rosie, Amora, and Nola — and they were among the great joys of his life.

Roy is survived by his sons, Rio Sanchez and Cisco Sanchez; his granddaughters, Rosie, Amora, and Nola; his brothers, Steve Sanchez and Jimmy Sanchez; his sisters, Margie and Virginia, all of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and many cherished nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends he counted as family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Toby and Charlotte Sanchez; his brother, Toby Sanchez Jr.; and his grandson, Jonas.

A memorial service celebrating Roy’s life will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM at Imperial Memorial Gardens in Pueblo, Colorado.

A Luncheon Reception will follow at Imperial Funeral Home, 5450 Highway 78 West, Pueblo, CO 81005, US, on June 4, 2026, starting at 11:00 am.