Roy A. Nock, 90

Roy A. Nock, 90, of Kalispell went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 27, 2010. Born in Denver on July 22, 1919, to Ben E. and Lulu Nock, Roy was reared and educated in Denver. He was a member of Berkeley Baptist Church, serving in various offices, and there met his future wife, Betty Jo Smith. After three years of courtship, they were married on May 11, 1941. Roy and Betty were blessed with four children. Roy joined the U.S. Army in July, 1942. During World War II he served as cadre for basic first aid training at Camp Robinson, Ark. Then following veterinary training at William Beaumount General Hospital in El Paso, Texas, he was assigned as meat and dairy inspector at De Witt General Hospital in Auburn, Calif. Roy received an honorable, medical discharge in April of 1945, at which time he, his wife, and baby daughter, Royann, returned to Denver. After his discharge from the Army, Roy was employed in a variety of professions. He was a cowboy on ranches in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming, and a cattle buyer for Armour and Co. This was followed by eight years with The Nock and Garside Elevator Co., a company founded by his grandfather, Thomas Nock, in the 1890s. Roy worked as an apprentice, draftsman, and manager until the business was sold. Next, Martin Marietta, a defense contractor, was Roy s employer where he spent eight years working on the Titan missile. This job took Roy from the design table to missile silos and the launch pads of this country s ICBM projects of the 1950s and 60s. In 1964, Roy moved his family to Montana where he worked as a partner in an engineering firm until taking a job with the Anaconda Aluminum Co., as a production engineer. He retired in March of 1981. Roy s interests in life were multi-faceted. He enjoyed horses and cattle and was a lifelong cowboy at heart. He was an accomplished artist in various mediums, including photography, sculpture, watercolor and oils. Roy was inquisitive about technology, aviation, and many other disciplines. He was not only a lifelong learner himself, but demonstrated a keen interest in what others were learning in life. He enjoyed exploring the back roads of Colorado and Montana and everywhere he traveled. Roy was hospitable and enjoyed visiting with friends, neighbors and family. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who loved music and had a quick wit. He loved the Lord Jesus Christ and was an active member of Bethel Baptist Church of Kalispell. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Betty Jo, of Kalispell; his children, Royann and Norb Cygan of Castle Rock, Colo., Gary and Dawn Nock of Ephrata, Wash., B. Elaine Nock of Portland, and Carole and Jon Poe of Billings. Roy is also survived by a sister, Bernice Tilson, of Ontario, Ore.; and brother, Glen A. Nock, of Yountville, Calif. Roy is a grandfather to eight, Lacey Arnett, Adria Butler, Kevin Dull, Joel Gardner, Angela Nock, Samantha Nelson, Jenny Sneigoski and Matthew Poe; and 16 great-grandchildren. Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Lulu Nock; and a sister, Anita Randall. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 2, at Bethel Baptist Church. Gifts for Lake Blaine Bible Camp may be sent to Bethel Baptist Church. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family. To send condolences to the family, please visit the website at www.buffalohillfh.com. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. - Galatians 6:14 (KJV)