Roy Wesley Watkins

Roy Wesley Watkins, 75, of Gillette, Wy, died Monday April 7, 2025 at Monument Health in Rapid City from complications after a heart attack. Mass of Christian burial begins at 1:00 p.m. Thursday April 17, 2025 at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church with burial to follow at Mount Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday April 16, 2025 at Gillette Memorial Chapel. Roy was born Oct. 26, 1949 in Hardtner, Kansas, the 6th of 8 children to parents David and Eleanor Watkins. The family lived inn Sharon, Kansas until 1957 when they moved to a farm outside of Nashville, KS. It was here that Roy grew to be a basketball star, good student, great hand on the family farm and a treasured big and little brother to his beloved siblings. During the summer of his junior year Roy joined all 3 of his brothers and 3 future brothers-in-law traveling around multiple states doing custom wheat cutting for Don Zahorsky. The guys all grew very close working hard together cutting. They even had a fun, then not so fun misadventure with some homemade drink and borrowed golf carts! They were off cutting near Elfrida, Arizona when the decision to have lunch at a small family-owned diner led to Roy meeting the love of his life, Rae. Roy even took Rae’s younger brother Ted with him custom cutting, I suspect to insure he would get to see Rae again! The two hit it off immediately and would marry on Feb. 3, 1968, in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Afterwards the lived in Questa, New Mexico where on November 12, 1968, Rae gave birth to twin boys Roy and Ted. During the first few years of marriage the family moved from New Mexico to Arizona, then to Kansas and Texas following work. In 1971 Roy had been offered a job in Alaska so the plan was for him to go ahead and get them a place to live then come back and get the rest of the family. However his truck ended up breaking down in Gillette, Wyoming where the family would settle down Roy would live and work the rest of his life, nearly 54 years. Roy found work welding in the oil fields for a couple years then in 1980 Roy and Rae stared Roy Watkins Welding when they successfully ran for several years, even putting the boys to work during their junior high and high school years. Then in 1986 Roy went to work for L&H Industrial, where he became the welding shop supervisor and was instrumental in developing their welding and field service divisions into world class services. He remained at L&H until his retirement. Roy spent his free time early on playing softball with his company team and fishing, hunting, and skiing with family and friends. Once the boys were old enough this switch to going to their basketball and football games along with Boy Scouts, wrestling, and track meets. Roy also loved old cars from the 50’s thru the 70’s so when it came time for the boys first cars he and the boys fixed up a 69 Mustang and 63 Impala. This instilled a love of classic cars in the boys which they along with grandpa also passed along to his grandkids. He also loved watching pretty much every western tv show ever and football, cheering on his Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Roy and Rae divorced in 1992, and he never remarried. Roy also developed Parkinson’s and while it was a battle the last 20 or so years of his life, he never let it get the best of him. The greatest joy of his life was family. He loved his parents, brothers and sisters, their spouses, his wife’s parents and siblings, his boys and so many nieces and nephews, and his friends. But most of all he loved his grandkids and great-grandkids! Loved holding them as babies, getting to see them grow up and develop their unique personalities, do sports, fishing, hunting, and working on old cars. In their own words, he was the most understanding, loving, supportive and stubborn person they knew! He was always there for them and they knew he was always on their side and they could count on him. He even bought a house with some land and a big shop that was much more then he needed living along just so they had a place they could have horses, ride motorcycles and of course, work on cars! I can’t tell you how many times during my brother Roy David and my life that someone we may or may not have known would come up to us, yes very often at a bar, and buy us a beer and tell us that they know our dad and what a great guy he was and how much he had impacted their lives. I’ve received countless messages just like this in the last week. Roy is survived by his son Ted (Deana) Watkins, granddaughter Kori, grandsons Mat, Mason (McKenzie), Colton and Jace, 2 step-granddaughters, 7 great grandchildren, siblings David, Judy, Susie, Bill, Richard, Linda and Sarah and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Elanor Watkins, son Roy David Watkins, grandsons Brandon and Caiden, and niece Rachael. Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel 210 West 5th Street, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be expressed at www.gillettememorialchapel.com