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 Jack LeRoy "Roy" Mecham (1946 - 2017)
Our beloved son, brother, uncle, great-uncle, great-great-uncle, and friend, Jack LeRoy Mecham Jr., “Our Roy,” passed away unexpectedly and very quickly on Friday, February 3rd, two months shy of his 71st birthday. Though Roy had faced the challenges of diabetes for a number of years, he long ago settled into a comfortable routine free of dramatic changes in his day-to-day health. He read voraciously as always, continued to pursue his art projects, and was always cheerful visiting with his family and friends. It was his ever-present cheerfulness despite his physical limitations that became his trademark. It sets a powerful example for us. It will always inspire us. We did not expect to lose him at this time, and we are left deeply hurting.
Roy was the first child of Jack L. Mecham and Donna E. Curie Mecham, who met while serving with the U.S. 5th Army during WWII. They married in Italy one week after the war in Europe ended in May of 1945. Roy was one of the very first “Baby Boomers.”
Roy was bright. Roy was energetic, and growing up he loved the sports he learned to play under his parents tutelage. But first and foremost he was an artist. And he became an accomplished one, working mostly in oils, but proficient in acrylics and watercolors as well. He also created beautiful sculptures in alabaster. And he read. And he read. And then he read some more. It was a passion gifted to him from his mother who read to him from the earliest age. From Beatrix Potter it was on to Jules Verne and Rudyourd Kipling, and ultimately to the scholarly world histories he devoured in his later life. Not too much fiction, though he loved reflecting on Middle Earth with his younger brother as the two of them tried to figure out what it was that “made Gandalf tick.”
Evenings found him at his contemplative best, cueing up LPs from his impressive jazz collection. Oscar Peterson “tickling the ivories” (as Roy liked to describe it), John Coltrane blowing sax, or Ella Fitzgerald singing late into the night, a jazz aficionado he was.
He was a complex man. In the morning with camera, binoculars, and sketchbook in tow, he headed for his birding retreats. A peregrine falcon on the wing. A ruby-crowned kinglet hopping through the brush. Canvasback ducks gliding peacefully on the water. These too are among the passions that stirred Roy’s soul. Oh, and a 51-yard game-winning field goal as time expires (that’s a UTE field goal mind you!).
Roy lived his life in Salt Lake City. He graduated from Olympus High School in 1964 and took numerous art classes at the University of Utah.
He is preceded in death by his father Jack, and is survived by his mother Donna, along with sisters Cheryl and Becki, and brother David. He is also survived by two nieces, Lisa (Brian) Groneman and Emily (Sean) Freebairn; two grandnieces, Sophia (Jeff) Jackson and Eliza Groneman; three grandnephews, Mecham, Parker, and Jacob Groneman; and one grand-grandnephew, Rio Jackson.
Godspeed our dear beloved one. Until we meet again!
Thank you Travis and everyone at Spring Creek Healthcare! “Jack” was so fond of all of you. He loved many of you, and we his family, will never forget the care and compassion you gave our Roy for so long.
Services will be held Friday, February 10th at 2:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn. Friends may call Friday one hour prior to services. Interment at Wasatch Lawn.
(NOTE: We had previously thought that Roy had passed away in the late 60's.)
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Lynn Grant
Roy was a good friend to me in school and will be missed.
Lynn D. Grant
Pam Davis (Allen)
I love Roy with all my heart and soul. Willy and my entire house is full of his fabulous art work. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not reminded of him. So sorry I moved away and did not get to spend the last 30 years with him. RIP
Love Pam and Willy Allen
David Paulsen
I knew Roy at William Penn through our years at Olympus. He was an amazing baseball player. It was either 2nd base or shortstop, always on the opposing team however. I never saw a hit get by him. I remember how much fun he always was to hang out with. Regretfully, I never did see any of his artwork, sure wish someone would post a picture for me/us to enjoy. RIP Roy. It was nice to share some of this trip with you.
Frank Page
Roy was a remarkable artist, intellect, and deeply kind person. We had some good times, and I still have one of his painting. He was joy and he added much to life and beauty.
Harvey Cahoon
Michael Perry emailed this remembrance into the site. I'm posting it for him. -Harv Cahoon
In my youth Roy was one of my best friends. It was Roy that first introduced me to the world of birding and art. There was no one who could draw like Roy. While I didn't pursue a course in art I did follow a path into ornithology and falconry. Roy and I would sleuth around the neighborhood looking for new species to add to our list. It led to a fascination of falconry and thanks to Roys super mom who droves us to the mountains and canyon habitats near East Canyon looking for nests and eyries. A nest of Sparrow Hawks (now called Kestrels) became our focus. Determined, Roy and I gathered two soon to be fledged birds for our start in the "Kings" sport. The years passed and we lost touch when we changed schools but I will always remember with great fondness Roy, his dad and mom and the seeds they planted in my life that both enriched and brought joy to me. Thank you Roy for the great friend you were to me in my youth.
Michel D. Hess
Roy was a close friend through our school years but our lives drifted apart and we lost touch. I was able to visit with Roy about 20 years ago and learned my sister-in-law, Teresa Browning, was his friend through their mutual love of reading and art. I thought of him often and am saddened that he is gone.
Michel Hess
Stanley Adams
Like many of my other good friends from the Olyjmpus days, it is always hard to her about a great guy like Roy who has passed on. Among alot of other things, Roy and I played little league baseball together for three or four years. Dave (Paulsen) I believe he played catcher. I played second base on a team called the Flyers up at Evergreen Park. Roy's dad was one of our coaches and we had one helluva team. Our last year on the Flyers together, we were playing in the little league game that would have allowed us to go to Santa Monica, California to the Western Boys Little League Baseball championship games. In those days, the games were seven innings and there was a rule that if we had played four complete innings of ball and we got rained out, we go back to the last complete inning of play to appoint the winner. Well the Flyers were the "visiting" team in this particular championship game and we were two runs behind in the bottom of the fourth. In the top of the fifth The Flyers went ahead by three runs. There were no outs, but it started to rain like there there would be no tomorrow, and yes, they called the game, went back to the fourth inning and Roy and I cried all the way home. Roy was a good friend of mine. He was a terrific guy. His memories will last my lifetime. stan adams
Robert S. (Bob) Bacon
Dear classmates,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories of Roy. Sadly, I did not get to know him as well as many of you. I do remember that the Flyers were a formidable little league baseball team. May he rest in peace. Bob Bacon