Alphonse Zachary Roy

Alphonse Zachary Roy, 92, passed away on January 5, 2017. Alphonse was born on February 8, 1924 in Biddeford, Maine, to Zepherin Roy and Fresilda Celalire Cyr. Alphonse attended high school at St. Louis High in Biddeford Maine, where he played football as fullback. Uncle Sam drafted him and he entered service on July 8, 1943. He attended Basic Training in Ford Devens, Massachusetts, then went to Camp Haan, (Riverside), California. His next assignment was to Camp Phillips, Kansas, and from there he was sent Fort Benning, Georgia. From Fort Benning, Georgia, he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland, and then to Camp Standards, Massachusetts, in preparation to go overseas. He was then shipped to La Havre, France, where he joined the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) in combat. From there he was sent to Belgium and placed in a combat outfit. D Day began on June 6, 1944. He arrived in Europe after D Day. He traveled all over Germany, mainly on foot, where he joined the Siegfried Line. This is where he was wounded. Half of the platoon was hurt when they met 3 tanks and had no more than a bazooka to fight with. He was sent to a MASH unit after being wounded, and then was sent to a hospital in Paris. After that he was sent to Barmouth, in Great Britain. While there, the war ended. After he recovered, he worked in mess halls and became an interpreter, since he was fluent in French. He was then sent back to La Havre, France, where he ran the Red Cross Service Club and took care of some of the celebrities who came to entertain the military. 50 German prisoners were brought into the club to work, and he was placed in charge of their supervision. On March 18, 1946, he was formally discharged from the Army at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and returned to Maine. He had wanted to work in the cotton mills (Peppermill) but they went out of business, so he got a job working for a company selling periodicals out of Chicago throughout the United States. While he was in Kansas City, he decided that he was tired of using the line that he was a disabled veteran to sell the magazines, so he quit. His boss had wanted to keep him because he was a good influence on the rest of the employees and he always went to church, but he told boss he was homesick and didn't want to do the job any more. His boss told him he could have his job back anytime he wanted. He thumbed a ride to Oklahoma City and went to work in a seafood restaurant and stayed at the YMCA. He quit that job and thumbed a ride to Victorville/Riverside, California, because he had wanted to be a star but was not able to make it in that business. Since he wanted a job and his 20-52 was running out, he went to the Post Office and told them he wanted to reenlist. He went to March Field, California, and enlisted in the Air Corp on March 27, 1947. He was put on the switchboard, having had experience in communications. He made Buck Sergeant (3 stripes), and then went to Tachikowa, Japan and worked with teletype. He practiced typing and became proficient, typing 80 words a minute. After that, he worked in crypto with a top-secret clearance. In 1949, he was awarded ""best security."" He stayed in Tachikowa, Japan for 3 years and made staff sergeant (4 stripes). When his enlistment was over he was sent to Otis, Massachusetts, and given 30 days' leave. He had wanted to re-enlist again but he couldn't get his clearance back because he had relatives in Maine. At this point, the Korean War had begun. He asked his lieutenant to send him out as soon as possible, but he never was. He was sent to Colorado Springs, Colorado instead, working teletype again. The Air Force had him listed under the wrong AFSC and in the wrong field. He fought that until they finally gave him a 70 AFSC, and then he took the communication test and received the highest score ever. While in Colorado Springs, at the end of 1950, he received a better job classification. Mary was from Lamar, Colorado, and had come to Colorado Springs with another friend to meet a teacher. Alphonse met Mary while she was there, and they were married in 1952. Dennis, their first born, was born in Colorado Springs. They were then sent to Guam, where Mary was born. After Guam, they were transferred to Andrews AFB in Washington, DC. David was born in Annapolis, Maryland. Alphonse was sent alone to Saudi Arabia in 1958, where he was stationed for 15 months, and then he transferred to Richards Gabor, in Belton Missouri, where Jeff and Michelle were born. He then went to school in Biloxi, Mississippi, at Keesler AFB for radar maintenance. After that, he was sent to Brunswick, Maine, where Laurie was born. The Air Force station there was shut down, so he was sent to Port Austin, Michigan. From there, he retired in 1966 and moved the Roy clan to Denver, Colorado, where they were finally able to rent a house, which was difficult because they had 6 children. Alphonse got a job in Civil Service at Lowry Air Force Base, where he worked in communications until he retired. Eventually, the landlord sold the house to them, and the family grew up there. The house is still home, and that is where Alphonse died, while in Hospice, on January 5, 2017. Alphonse is survived by his six children: Dennis (Paula) Roy, Mary Joanne Busby, David (Kathryn) Roy, Jeffrey (Peggy Proctor) Roy, Michelle (Tom) Robins, and Laurie (Tom) Karst. His grandchildren: Cynthia Attridge, Christopher Roy, Amanda (Joe) Regan, James (Becky) Busby, Catherine (Sam) Martinez, Laura Busby, Zachary Roy, Eric Roy, Celina Roy, Nick Cyr, Josh (Amber) Robins, Jennifer (Kevin Jansen), Mara and Carla Fell, Elizabeth (CJ Branson), and Jacob Fowler. His great-grandchildren: Baylee Attridge, Richard and Rebecca Busby, Matthew and Sarah Martinez, Dakota Robins, Riley Robins, Skylir Robins, Aiden and Trista Fisher, and Aliah Branson. His siblings: Reynald (Marguirette) Roy, and Jean-Paul Roy, many loved nieces and nephews, and his Holy Trinity ""Family"". He was preceded in death by: his wife Mary Catherine Gieser, Laura (Oliver) Goudreau, Lucien (Bertha) Roy, Florien (Ella) Roy, Fernand (Stella) Roy, Blanch Roy, Cimone Roy, Wilfred Roy, George (Therese) Roy, Sr. Irene Roy, and Sr. Therese Roy. Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 6:00 PM, with Rosary following at 7:00 PM, at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 9998 Grant Street, Thornton, CO 80229. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at 9:30 AM, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 7595 North Federal Boulevard, Westminster, CO 80030. Interment to follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery C, 3698 South Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, CO 80236. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Divine Mercy Hospice, 303 South Broadway, Suite 220, Denver, CO 80209. Please share your memories of Alphonse and condolences for his family by signing the guestbook below.