Pontotoc - Edwin Donald "Dago" Roye 86 passed away peacefully at Sanctuary Hospice Tuesday, July23, 2018. He was born at home in Pontotoc County April 9, 1932 to Edwin Jackson "E.J." Roye and Ina Matthews Roye. He attended Troy Elementary School and Pontotoc High School. He was a Baptist and a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. He joined the National Guard at age 18 and was mobilized into the Army during the Korean War. He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Jo Robbins, October 13, 1952 and they lived for a brief time in Memphis where he worked at Orgill Brothers. But he was first and foremost a country boy and they soon returned to Pontotoc. He attended building trades school at Northeast Community College and afterwards worked as a bricklayer and contractor until the 1970's when he became a building trades instructor at Itawamba Community College. He then went back to school and became an EMT and paramedic and worked for ambulance services at several hospitals in northeast Mississippi until he retired.
He enjoyed horses, rabbit hunting, raising beagles, music (especially Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, and most especially listening to his kids play and sing), and Zane Grey novels, but his most fervent interest that came a little later in life were running, cycling, and fitness. He started running in his late 40's and continued as long as he was able. He was very proud of the trophies he won over the course of his running career. He was able to run from Tupelo to Pontotoc one year after having open heart surgery and rode his bicycle from Nashville to Tupelo on his 70th birthday.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, three sisters, Annie Lou Peden, Thelma Dearman, and Betty Davidson, and two sons in law, Paul Dillard and Ricky Jones. He is survived by his children, Donny Roye (Donna), Ina Graham (Anthony), and Lisa Roye, his grandchildren, Jessie Jones (Cassie), Ben Hardin, Allison Huey(Trey), Jackson Roye (Elena), Austin Roye (Kelcey), Forrest Dillard, Casey Pernell(Jon), great-grandchildren Ella Huey, Sailor Huey, Mia Huey, Webb Huey, Max Jones and step-grandchildren Josh Graham and Abbey Butler, step-great grandchildren Hoyte Butler, Lawson Butler, Elijah Butler, Abigail Graham, and sisters Flora Carroll, Irene Brand, and Bertha Pannell and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Thursday night from 5 until 8 pm at Browning Funeral Home and the service will be at 2 pm on Friday with visitation beginning at 1 pm. Memorials may be made to Sanctuary Hospice or Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Browning Funeral home is in charge of the arrangements.
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