Leroy Harold "Roy" Banes, Sr.

LeRoy Harold Banes, Sr. (Opa)January 8, 1941 – July 13, 2020When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation. And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration. And then proclaim "My God, How Great Thou Art!"Roy, our loving Dad and Opa, went home to meet the Lord and reunite with his beloved wife on July 13th in the comfort of his home in Edmond, Ok. He was 79 years old. He was born on January 8, 1941 to Salvador and Margarita. He was raised in San Jose, California and attended Lincoln High School. He then joined the United States Army and graduated from Officer Candidate School. Later in life, he served as an officer in the Army Reserves. He was very proud of his service and of his country. Roy then met his lifelong love and wife, Peggy Woods. They married in 1964 and were married for 52 years before Peggy's passing in 2016. Together, they lovingly and faithfully raised 7 children, and were proud "Opa and Oma" to 19 grandchildren. In 1973, Roy and Peggy moved from California, along with their 5 children at the time, where Roy quickly became a true Okie at heart. There, God blessed them with three more children, one of whom they have now reunited with in Heaven. He began his career in transportation driving a truck. With hard work and perseverance, he worked his way into upper management and had a long, successful career which led him to Texas, Arkansas and Kansas before finally returning home to Oklahoma. Together, Roy and Peggy lived a humble life of faith and were devoted parishioners to St. Joseph's Old Cathedral in Oklahoma City. The family spent hours there every week attending Mass and Sunday School, enjoying parish events, cleaning and decorating the church for holidays, and, along with three other families, making up the entire youth group. Roy was a member of the Knights of Columbus and also served as Lector and Sunday School Teacher. Roy's biggest joys in life were his Catholic Faith and being surrounded by his family. He was hard-working, loving and funny. He was very giving and generous and would do anything for his family. He always kept us laughing and was a master at "dad jokes". He loved reading, watching movies and listening to old country music. Family road trips usually consisted of listening to 8 Tracks of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones. He loved old cars, car shows and football on Sundays after Mass. There was no team that could compare to his beloved Dallas Cowboys. Roy is preceded in death by his wife, Peggy; his parents, Salvador and Margarita and his brother in law, Hal Miller. He is survived by his 7 children, Lynn Stewart of Wichita, KS; Roy Banes, Jr and his wife, Morgen of Broomfield, CO; Terri Tucker and her husband, Kevin of Prosper, TX; Audrey Banes of Edmond, OK; Bonnie Schlarb and her husband, Kevin of Scottsdale, AZ; Gary Banes of Edmond, Ok and Julie Dreiling and her husband, Craig of Edmond, OK. He is also survived by his 19 grandchildren, Sam, Bridget, John Paul and Maryn Stewart; Cody Banes; Courtney Banes-Butts and her husband, Jesse; Valerie and Jackson Elkins; Lauren and Trey Tucker; Natalie, Nathan & Tyler Schlarb; Addison, Elizabeth and Ainsley Banes; Jett, London and Baylor Dreiling. Finally, he is also survived by his dear sister, Marguerite Miller; niece Tammy Holmgren and her husband, Brad; nephew Mike Miller; and many brothers and sisters in law, nieces and nephews from Peggy's side of the family, who were also very beloved to him. There will be a prayer service to honor Roy on Friday, July 17th at 1:00pm at the Smith & Kernke N. May Chapel. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church on Saturday, July 18th at 10:00am. Interment will follow at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery where Roy will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife.