LeeRoy Eugene Mattice, 71, of Farmersville, Texas, lost his 3-year battle with cancer, Nov. 13, 2022.
He was under Hospice care and was with his loving family at home.
He was born in Huntington Beach, Calif., Aug. 25, 1951.
LeeRoy is preceeded in death by his parents, Harold Lee Roy and Sylvia May Mattice, and his youngest sister, Doris Jane Mattice.
He attended elementary school in Compton and Long Beach, Calif. The family moved to Texas were he attended Wylie High School. While in high school he participated in football, track and cross-country. He worked part-time as a mechanic and heavy machine operator. His favorite activities were hunting in the woods near Lake Lavon with his dog, Bella, and riding his horse, Golden Boy, or Harley Davidson.
In May 1971 he met Melody Diane Thomas and married her June 11, 1971. They are proud of their sons: Daniel Lee Roy Mattice (1974), and Lee Roy Mattice (1975).
LeeRoy was a machinist and worked for Oilwell Supply (US Steel), Texas Instruments (Dallas) and Raytheon (Sherman & Dallas). He spent most of his years at Raytheon where he made housings for the United States military armaments, such as the Patriot Missile and Bouncing Betty.
In his retirement he raised cows and worked on small engines.
Left to cherish his memory are: his wife, Melody Diane Mattice; sons Daniel LeeRoy Mattice and Lee Roy Mattice (all of Farmersville, Texas); two sisters, Janet Ruth Mattice, of Mineral Springs, Ark., and Linda Lee Butler (Richard) of Royse City, Texas; three grandchildren, Rebecca Danielle White (Bradley) of Blue Ridge, Texas, Dillon Ashton Mattice of Farmersville, and Lacey Brook Mattice of Blue Ridge; two nephews, Christopher Lee Roy Mattice of Connell, Wash., Kenneth Michael Wayne Geer, Royse City, Texas; three great-grandchildren, Amberlynn, Nolan, and Addie White, all of Blue Ridge, Texas; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
At a future date he will be laid to rest beside his parents and sister at the Bluff Springs Cemetery.
