Roy Francis Kirby, 83, of Mount Leonard, Missouri, passed away on Monday, March 20th, 2023, at home while surrounded by his loving wife and family.
Roy was born on October 26th, 1939, to George Richard Kirby and Ellen Alma (Fleener) Kirby in Windsor, Missouri. He was one of four children. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in February 1958 and served through February 1960. Then he served in the Army National Guard for four more years.
On July 7th, 1961, Roy married Janet Sue Fleischman in Mount Leonard, Missouri. Roy and Janet went on to have seven children.
Roy retired from the Missouri Department of Transportation after 32 years. Of course, he stayed busy in retirement with his hobbies, spending time with his wife, taking care of his children and grandchildren, and working part time jobs.
Roy was a loving husband and father, beloved grandfather, great grandfather, and friend. He was strong-willed (stubborn!), genuine, and sometimes onery and he loved to tell a good story. He loved cars. Roy worked on classic cars with his sons and won awards at car shows for his 1922 T-Bucket and 1934 Plymouth. He raced a 4-cylinder wing sprint car from 1979 through 1992. Roy loved music. He played the guitar, fiddle, banjo, accordion, mandolin, and steel guitar and shared that love of music with his children and grandchildren.
Roy also loved to watch Westerns, The Marty Stuart Show, The Grand Ole Opry, The Porter Wagoner Show and Hee Haw. To him, breakfast was the best meal of the day, and he would never turn down a plate of biscuits and gravy. Roy believed powdered sugar donuts, grape soda, and Vicks VapoRub could cure any ailment. He believed family should take care of each other and showed us that even until his last breath. He loved his family and spoiled his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents, George Richard Kirby and Ellen Alma (Fleener) Kirby; paternal grandparents, John Kirby and Margaret “Maggie” (Bowman) Kirby; maternal grandparents, Victor Fleener and Mammie Fleener; sister, Dorothy (Kirby) Cornine; brother-in-law, Archie Cornine; sister-in-law, Betty (Stone) Kirby; brother, Ray Lee Kirby; son, Brian Kirby; and granddaughter, Tabitha (Harms) Lazenby.
He is survived by his wife, Janet Kirby, of Mount Leonard; a brother, Harold Kirby (Dorothy) and six children: Richard Kirby (Terri), Laurinda Kirby, Jerry Kirby (Cindy), Roy “Heath” Kirby (Roxanne), Wayne Kirby (Donna), and Delyna Horst (Cody). He also leaves behind twelve grandchildren and their spouses: Brenda Wasson (Jason), Jenny Kirby, Jacinda Kruger (Aaron Sporn), Brandon Kirby, Rebecca Kirby (Kyle Kirchhoff), John Kirby, James Dahl-Hines (Analise), Michael Meinen, Bryanna Kirby, Drake Horst, Paxton Horst, and Sadie Horst.
Roy is also survived by fifteen great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and many, many other dear family and friends.
Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 24, 2023, at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall. Services will follow at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Graveside services with military rites will be held at the Missouri State Veterans’ Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Donations can be made online at: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/50728406/