Loretta Faye Kingma Roy was born on July 18, 1937, in Rensselaer, Indiana, the youngest and most spirited of three children born to Gerben and Dana Kingma, her loving and gentle parents. Her brother, Ed Kingma, preceded her in death, and she is survived by her sister, Arlene Goss. Loretta attended Remington High School and had many wonderful, lifelong friends from her time there. In 1957, she married John Farson in Indianapolis, and John and Loretta expanded their family quickly by adding on the five Farson children Stephen, Michael, John, Stephanie, and Michelle in less than seven years. John, Loretta and the kids had many memorable times with John's siblings and their families. Loretta cherished her children and celebrated her 10 grandchildren, who called her "Gran." Stephen (Steve) and his wife, Bev, live in Bailey, Colorado, and have four children: Brad Farson and his fiancée, Rachel Field; Ben Farson and his wife, Chelsey Farson; Matt Farson and his wife, Jaylea Farson; and Sarah Farson and her fiancé, Josh Dayton. Michael (Mike) lives in Indianapolis. John (Jak) and his wife, Teresa, live in Davidson, North Carolina, and have four children: Abby Farson Pratt and her husband, Guion Pratt; Kelsey Gray and her husband, Alex Gray; Grace Farson; and Sam Farson. Stephanie also lives in Indianapolis. And Michelle (Shelly) and her husband, Sean Seitz, live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and have two daughters, Sheridan and Taylor Seitz. While living in Indianapolis, Loretta made the most of her busy life with her comrades Connie Campbell and Mary Ann Rosecrans, who spent lots of time laughing and supporting each other with their many children (and numerous dogs). In time, Loretta and John separated, and they divorced in 1968, although they always held a good deal of goodwill and fondness for each other. John passed away in Indianapolis in November 2011. In 1974, Loretta married Harold Roy and moved to Ladoga, Indiana, where she experienced small-town living. She stayed busy raising her own five children in addition to three stepsons in a farmhouse with just one bathroom. Loretta longed to return to city life while Harold continues to still live in the farmhouse today. Loretta began a new life for herself in 1983 when she moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. She worked for Kent County at the animal shelter and at the juvenile detention center. Her experience and love of wrangling animals and children certainly served her well in both of those places! She made many dear friends throughout her career and she remained close with them after she retired from the county in 2003. Life in Grand Rapids brought her a great deal of joy. She cherished her community and her many friends from all walks of life and all ages. Loretta loved her little cottage and found pride and joy in decorating and painting it. She was known for wanting to paint every surface of her homeeven once attempting to paint the carpet. She also loved tending to her beautiful garden and spending time with her beloved rescued Doberman, Chance. She prized her generous neighbors and the very special relationships she had with them. Loretta was not a fan of the intense Michigan winters, but the pleasant summers she spent in Grand Rapids more than made up for them. She also spent many memorable vacations on the West Michigan beaches and in Petoskey. The ocean was always her favorite destination; she adored traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and to Florida. Particularly, she loved vacationing in Florida with her cousin, Judith, and going on adventures with her lifelong friend, Connie. Soaking up the sun and watching the ebb and flow of the waves made her unspeakably happy and content. Loretta was an avid sports fan and especially loved NASCAR. She loved dogs all of her life and seemed to have a special ability to understand them, especially dogs from troubled backgrounds; dogs always gravitated to her. She enjoyed country music and spending time with her family and friends, telling stories and laughing. People gravitated to Loretta because of her incredible wit, her infectious laugh, and her charming skill as a storyteller and conversationalist. She was constantly laughing and cracking jokes. Loretta had an energetic, radiant beauty, perhaps best exemplified by her lovely natural curls. She loved the simple things in life and could find an element of joy in a wide variety of situations. Everything changed for her on December 14, 2013. A sudden stroke robbed her of the ability to speak and walk. After three months of rehab, she found a new home at Emeritus at Long Cove Pointe in Mason, Ohio. Showing the continued strength of their commitment to Loretta, her friends and family across the country wrote her regularly and showered her with gifts. The staff at Long Cove also lavished her with love and care. She survived hospital stays, several surgeries, and a couple of stints in the ICU, and through it all, she displayed her incredibly strong spirit and optimism. Throughout the trials of this past year, Loretta never complained and greeted each day with a smile. She touched so many lives without being able to speak. As always, she radiated joy and drew people to her with her magnetic energy and optimism. Loretta passed away on Sunday morning, January 25, 2015, after suffering complications from her stroke and pneumonia. The team at Crossroads Hospice in Cincinnati was invaluable in her final days, ensuring that she was comfortable and able to pass away peacefully after her children had said their goodbyes. Undoubtedly, Loretta would want to be remembered with a smile. A smile was always her trademark expressionusually quickly followed by a contagious laugh. We honor Loretta by taking the love we feel for her and sharing it with others, spreading her happy, loving spirit to those we keep close. Years ago, she asked to have "What a Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong, played at her funeral. The lyrics, as you can see, exemplify her endlessly joyful outlook. I see trees of green, red roses, too, I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself, What a wonderful world. I see skies of blue, and clouds of white, The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. And I think to myself, What a wonderful world. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, Are also on the faces of people going by. I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?" They're really saying, "I love you." I hear babies crying; I watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know. And I think to myself, What a wonderful world. Yes, I think to myself, What a wonderful world. Loretta's granddaughter, Abby, wrote a touching tribute to her the day she passed away. It gives a glimpse into Loretta's life and what made her happy. Please read it at https://abbyfp.wordpress.com/2015/01/25/loretta/ Donations in Loretta's memory can be sent to Crossroads Hospice: https://crhcf.org/Donate/
To order
memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Loretta F. Roy, please visit our
flower store.
