January 27, 1928– November 3, 2022
LeRoy “Roy” H. Gascoigne Jr., 94, of Fairburn and formerly of the Glad Valley-Isabel area, passed away November 3, 2022 at his ranch south of Fairburn. He was born to LeRoy Sr. and Hazel (Smith) Gascoigne on January 27, 1928 in Huron joining one sister, Viola.
In January 1946, at the age of 17, LeRoy Sr. signed the papers so Roy could join the Navy. One week later, he was in training at the Naval Base in San Diego. After training he shipped out to Hawaii, was stationed on a tugboat, and then sent to Shanghai, China, where he towed ships up and down the Yangtze and Wang Pu rivers. He returned to San Francisco as a Seaman First Class on the USS Benevolent, and was assigned various jobs until his honorable discharge from the Navy in November 1947.
After his discharge, Roy moved to Agar and began working as a farm and ranch hand.
Roy met and married Carolyn Porter in April of 1955. Thus began 24 years of farming and ranching in the Agar, Onida, Blunt and Canning areas.
Roy married Penny Olson in 1982, moved to Fairburn in 1990, and spent his remaining years building the ranch and home that he lovingly referred to as the “Hobby Ranch.” He was an active member of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hot Springs, serving on the church board in various roles.
Roy is survived by his wife Penny of Fairburn; their son Bo (Omar) Gascoigne of Castle Rock, CO; his five children from his first wife, Carolyn: Pam (Denis) Walloch of Tabor, Mary (Alan) Todd of Pierre, David Gascoigne of Pierre, Steve (Lori) Gascoigne of Aberdeen, and Jeff Gascoigne of Pierre; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and one sister.
Funeral services were held November 9, 2022, at Chamberlain McColley’s Funeral Home in Hot Springs with committal services at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.