Roy moved to Texico New Mexico while still a baby of less than a year. He lived the first eighteen years of his life in Texico except for his freshman year when the family moved to Hull Texas and he attended school at Hull-Daisetta High. After graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served three years on active duty. He went through boot camp at San Diego California and was stationed at Camp Pendleton and later transfered to Okinawa for the remainder of his service. He was released from active duty at Treasure Island, at San Francisco, California. After returning to New Mexico in January 1960, he worked first at a gas station but saw no future in that so he went to work in construction, building steel buildings and tanks. In Sepember 1960 after the company he was working for went bankrupt he hired on the ATSF RR in Clovis as a laborer on the B&B and transfered into his present job of Locomotive Engineer in June of 1973. During the early years of employment at Santa Fe more time was spent laid off in force reduction than working. During this time
he worked at Swift lugging beef on the loading dock, hauling freight for Red Ball and Lang Transit and also spent three years in the United States Army. He enlisted on 4 Feburary 1963 and was discharged 4 Feburary 1966 at Fort Dix New Jersey. After returning to New Mexico, he resumed his railroad career, living in Clovis, Carlsbad, and Texico where he currently resides. At this time he is looking forward to the time he can change directions and do the things he enjoys instead of the things which are necessary in order to eat.