Obituary of Roy ECHEVERRIA

Dr. Roy Albert Echeverria, Sr., was born July 18, 1928 in Seligman, Arizona. Roy was the seventh of eleven children born to Basque pioneers Miguel Echeverria of Biscarette, Navarra Spain and Vicencia Martinez of Espinal, Navarra Spain. As a youngster Roy helped his father in his sheep business and started his life-long love of sheep producing. He was given his first band of sheep to watch during the summer grazing when he was 9 years old. Roy attended elementary and high school in Wickenburg, Arizona where he excelled academically as well as athletically. Described by team mates as a natural athlete, he lettered in both basketball and football and was on the Arizona all state team for 6 man football. After graduating from Wickenburg High School in 1946, Roy moved to Tucson to study pre-veterinary medicine at the University of Arizona. He married Fawn Hudson of Wickenburg in 1948. He later attended Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado, was a member of the honorary academic fraternity and graduated in 1954 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. After graduation Roy returned to Arizona where he opened Casa Grande Animal Hospital, the first veterinary practice in Pinal County. Roy's fourteen year veterinary practice included both large and small animals and stretched beyond Pinal County into other Arizona counties, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. Roy didn't forget his love of the sheep business. He and his brothers Mikel and Robert ran sheep through Echeverria Feeding Company in Casa Grande. When Roy's brother, Domingo, also a veterinarian, was killed in an accident in 1970, Roy moved to Colorado to administer Domingo's estate. He later took over Domingo's sheep business and in 1972 sold his veterinary practice in Casa Grande to dedicate his time to his first love, sheep and cattle ranching. Roy and his partners purchased a ranch from his brother's estate near Rawlins, Wyoming where he ran twelve thousand head of ewes and fed forty thousand head of lambs a year, trucking them up to the mountains in the summer and pasturing near Longmont, Colorado in the winter. Roy married Nancie Ensor in 1973. They resided in Berthoud, Colorado while he ran sheep in Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona and began farming in Southern Colorado. He later sold his sheep business to his partners and cousins, Juan and Poli Oroz, and partnered with Jose Marie Artaechevarria to raise potatoes and barley in Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley. Roy's son, Jim, currently runs the Echeverria Farms for his dad and Nancie.Roy served on the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for the State of Arizona and was a member of the National Woolgrower's Association as well as the Arizona and Colorado Woolgrowers. He is credited with discovering a parasite and its cure for sheep while working on a research project for Merck. He grew barley for Coors and wheat for Creamettes; each named Roy as their Farmer of the Year for the San Luis Valley. Roy and Nancie moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1983 and Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1994. He was a member of the Golden K Kiwanis and attended the Community Presbyterian Church. Roy is survived by his wife, Nancie; his sisters Laura Ferris of Reno, NV; Glady Miller of Prescott, AZ and Yvonne Echeverria of Phoenix, AZ; his brothers Rudy Echeverria of Maricopa, AZ; Julio Echeverria of Chandler, AZ and Donald Echeverria of Phoenix, AZ; his children Deborah Fain of Sonoita, AZ, Josephine Walker of Sonoita, AZ; Lillian Gold of Livingston, MT; Jim Echeverria, Center, CO; Richard Echeverria of Austin, TX and John Echeverria of Chandler, AZ; 19 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his son, Roy Echeverria Jr.; his sister, Josephine Pemberton; and, his brothers Mikel, Robert and Domingo Echeverria.Roy was good natured and always had a joke or one-liner. He was deeply respected as a businessman and partner. He is remembered by hundreds of family and friends for his fine mind, unique character, honesty, hard work and generosity. His family is holding a celebration of Roy's life at 4:00 pm, February 21st at the Community Presbyterian Church in Lake Havasu City and at 12:00 noon on February 23rd at "The Property" in Casa Grande, AZ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Church Street. Station, P.O. 780, New York, N.Y. 10008; or www.michaeljfox.org,Condolences and thoughts can be made to his family at www.lietz-frazefuneral.comArrangements were placed under the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home and Crematory.