Roy Lumpkins, age 84, passed away on February 16th, 2023.

Roy Lumpkins was born on July 31, 1938, in Turrell, Arkansas, to Currie William Lumpkins, Sr., and Mary Smith Lumpkins.  He was the fifth of their eight children.

In 1952, the Lumpkins family moved to Swift, Missouri, and made their living by farming.  They

later moved to the nearby town of Hayti, Missouri, where they rented land and raised cotton, corn, and sorghum.  Roy attended elementary school in Swift and later went to Central High School in Hayti.  He accepted Christ at an early age.

Roy remained in Missouri with his family until as a teenager he had the opportunity to attend the wedding of his aunt, Ann Smith, in Cleveland, Ohio.  He loved being in the big city and wanted to stay.  So he asked his older brother Silas and his wife Ruth if he could live with them until he could get on his feet.  Silas called their mother to ask her permission, and Roy was thrilled when she agreed.

Roy’s fir job in Cleveland was with a cleaning company at Cleveland Trust Bank.  He was also a skilled painter and had his own business painting homes and worked at General Motors in Lordstown, Ohio, for a number of years.  His last place of employment was Ravenna Aluminum Inc., where  he worked as a machinist before retiring in 2003.

After settling in Cleveland, Roy married Betty Lilly, and they had a son, Anthony.  After that marriage ended, he later married Rose Foster and they had four children: Marcus, Chrystle ShaRyce, Terrance and Dathan. The marriage ended in divorce.

In 1985, Roy met Charlene Jones at a Valentine’s Sweetheart Ball sponsored by his Masonic lodge.  The became longtime friends when his health began to fail, and she remained by his side every step of the way.

Roy began to attend worship services at Morning Star Baptist Church in Cleveland with Silas and Ruth and eventually joined the church.  He and Silas were often found in the church’s kitchen cooking together for the huge breakfast served after Morning Star’s Sun Rise Service each Easter Sunday.

Roy was a member of the 32^nd degree of St. John Masonic Temple and enjoyed playing checkers, bowling, golf and meeting his buddies to shoot the breeze at a local McDonald’s.  He also enjoyed barbecuing and made a mean peach cobbler that everyone loved.

Like his brothers, Roy was known for being fun-loving and had an unmistakable boisterous laugh.  He loved attending family reunions and retelling stories of growing up and remembering the joy and antics of his big close-knit family.  He was especially close to his only sister Joyce, who he jokingly called Mom.

After a long illness, the Lord called Roy home on February 16, 2023.  He is preceded by his parents and brothers, Silas Lumpkins, Currie Lumpkins Jr., and Garry Lumpkins Sr.

Roy is survived by his devoted wife, Charlene of Cleveland; five children Anthony Lumpkins Sr., (Michelle) of Powder Springs, Georgia; Marcus Lumpkins of Seattle, Washington; Chrystle ShaRyce Bowman of Reno, Nevada; Terrance Lumpkins Sr., of Columbus, Ohio, and Dathan Lumpkins (Betsy) of Niles Michigan; Brothers Clarence Lumpkins (Evelyn) of St. Louis, Missouri; Alfred Lumpkins (Ruth) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; an Hosse “Harvey” Lumpkins of Jackson, Mississippi; sister Joyce Morgan of Hayti, Missouri: and sisters-in-law Ruth E. Lumpkins and Janice Lumpkins, both of Cleveland.  He also leaves 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, and a host of other family members and friends.