Roy Lee Higgins

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Roy Lee Higgins of Myrtle Beach, SC, passed away on Friday, September 6, at 5:30p.m. at the age of 78 after a two-year war with kidney cancer and a case of pneumonia. He had been determined to come home from Grand Strand Hospital, and fought hard, just as he fought during his immunotherapy treatments over the past couple of years. His beloved wife Susan, son Joel, and daughter Amanda were with him at the hospital for his last days of life.

Roy was native to West Virginia--born in Littleton, to John Vincent Higgins and Pauline Villers Higgins, and was the youngest brother of John and Dale. He loved to play in the creek with his friends, and run throughout the small, close-knit community. He was raised in a faithful Christian family and was baptized at age fourteen. He attended Salem High School and was heavily involved in school activities. He was in Boys State, Assembly Seating Commission, Class President and Secretary, as well as Assistant Editor on the school yearbook. Roy participated in band and the Centennial Voice Chorus. “In another life,” Roy remarked on a number of occasions, he would’ve liked to have been a school band conductor. He loved music, from classical instrumental to acapella to groups like The Lettermen, The Four Seasons, and The Beach Boys. Roy graduated from high school in 1964 as Salutatorian of his class. 

For college, Roy attended West Virginia University. He joined ROTC, and was the director of the ROTC Marching Band. In 1970, he graduated with his B.S. in Civil Engineering, and had an ROTC commission as a U.S. Army Reserve Officer. During the 1970s, Roy worked in manufacturing and mining related businesses in West Virginia while serving in the U.S. Army Reserve. He became a professional engineer in 1976.

From the 1980s – 2000s, Roy was active duty in the U.S. Army Active Guard Reserve Program. He held duty assignments in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Panama, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. In 1996, he graduated from a two-year program of the United States Army War College. The highest rank he achieved was Colonel, and highest position held was the Installation Commander of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. He held a Top Secret security clearance, and retired from the Army on July 1, 2000.

From 2002-2013, Roy worked as Director, Division of Maintenance, for Montgomery County Schools in Rockville, Maryland, which was the state’s largest school system. He retired on July 1, 2013, to Myrtle Beach, SC.

Active in church from a young age, Roy lead singing, taught Bible classes, and helped with other aspects of worship. Over fifty years as an adult Christian, Roy conducted song-leading workshops and developmental seminars for aspiring elders and deacons, taught numerous adult Bible classes, and occasionally presented lessons from the pulpit. In the 1990s, he wrote and edited a workbook for a twenty-six-week strategic study of the New Testament Church. He taught the course at several churches in Virginia, Wisconsin, and Maryland. One of his retirement goals was to finish editing the workbook and have it published.

Roy thoroughly enjoyed retirement. He and Susan loved hosting family and friends at their home. They have a close church family at the Grand Strand Church of Christ and a close-knit neighborhood. They had opportunities to do some great boating, fishing, and traveling. Roy never met a stranger; he loved his family and friends. He had a big heart and constantly looked for ways to help others, whether it was meeting a need or giving advice.

Roy is survived by his wife, Susan Dixon Higgins, his children, Joel Higgins (Laura) and Amanda Moon (Brian), and granddaughter Molly Moon; as well as his bonus children, Kelley Jones (Jessica), Meredith Adkins (James), Matt Jones, and his bonus grandchildren, Jillian Rapp, Hayden Jones, Joshua Adkins, Luke Adkins, Andrew Adkins, Maddox Jones, Makenna Jones, and Mila Jones. Roy’s parents and two older brothers preceded him in death.

Services will be located at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens at 457 Zachs Run Rd, Mt. Clare, WV 26408, on Wednesday, September 11 at 12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Roy’s memory to the Myrtle Beach Fire Department at 120 Burcale Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579 or Christian Relief Fund.

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