Community in West Des Moines. He was born in Chicago in 1927, the last of four siblings to Charles and Marie Gollnick. Roy attended Lane Technical High School and went on to graduate from Northwestern University with a degree in Engineering. He was the first student ever to graduate from Northwestern University solely taking night classes. His fascination with manufacturing lead him to a career in Industrial Engineering that spanned forty years across five industries. In that time, he developed expertise in electronics, audio/visual, heavy equipment and jet engine manufacturing, holding progressive management and consulting positions. He gave numerous speeches and presentations on manufacturing-related topics to peer groups, and had articles published in professional journals in the U.S and Japan.
In 1953, Roy met the love of his life Lorraine while attending a dance at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. In fifty-seven years of marriage they were constant companions, raising two children and remaining active in their communities while making homes in Chicago, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, and Iowa once more. Civically, Roy served on the Finance Committee for Sacred Heart Church in West Des Moines and presided over the School Board during his children’s formative years. He also volunteered and served as a football coach and a Boy Scout leader. While in North Carolina, Roy and Lorraine established a soup kitchen through their church where they served meals to more than 600 people every week. It was their generosity and will to be kind that touched people most.
Roy traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and saw the world with wonder. In retirement, he maintained a wide range of interests and activities including teaching at the local college, volunteering at the Des Moines Community Playhouse, wood-carving, and stained glass works. The one constant throughout Roy’s life was his unwavering passion for learning.
Roy was preceded in death by his wife Lorraine (2010), and is survived by his children, daughter Ellen (David) Harvey of Clive; son Michael (Donna) Gollnick of San Francisco, CA; grandchildren Ross (Emily) Harvey, Allison (Colton) Smith, Robert Harvey, and Matthew Gollnick; great-grandchildren Ada and Lydia Smith; and many dear nieces and nephews.
A mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday, June 25, 4:00PM, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 7075 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines, IA 50266.
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