Roy Pace, sportswriter, sports official, photographer, cowboy poet, and community leader died at his home in the Helena valley September 7, 2022, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 86.
Roy was born Feb. 8, 1936, in Lamar, Colo. and spent his childhood on a small ranch, attending a one-room country school. His family moved to Delta, Colo. in 1948 where he graduated from Delta High School in 1953. While in high school, Roy played football, ran track, and served as manager of the basketball team.
“It’s rather difficult to excel in football, basketball, and track when you enter high school as a 5-5 and 98-pound freshman, and you’re slow besides,” he once told a group of young athletes. His senior year he played guard on the football team at 5-6, 130 pounds.
Roy graduated from high school on a Friday and started a job with a local radio station the following Monday broadcasting local sports. His play-by-play work led to job as a sportswriter with the Delta newspaper, and then sports editor at the Durango, Colo. Herald.
Roy married Lois Martin on December 14, 1953, in Delta, Colo. Together they raised two daughters and a son. The family moved to Helena in 1967 when Roy was offered a news editor job at the Helena Independent Record. He became the IR sports editor soon after, a position he held until his retirement in 1996.
“I was a C student in English, and it was among my least favorite subjects,” Roy once admitted to a group of aspiring young journalists. That didn’t seem to matter he said, since “sportswriters have a language all their own.”
His writing and photography earned him numerous awards, especially covering the sport he was most passionate about—rodeo. He was a four-time winner of the Montana Coors Press Contest and proud that he was the only person ever to win in all three categories: best rodeo news story, best rodeo feature story, and best rodeo photo.
Roy wrote about, talked about, and lived the values of sportsmanship and citizenship. He once told an audience, “If you want a better community and a better life, you must develop an interest, you must become informed, and you must get involved.”
“Involved” was an understatement for Roy. Throughout his life he helped create and lead numerous community organizations. He served as an officer in Jaycees for 12 years in both Colorado and Helena. He helped launch Helena’s Small Fry football program in 1971 and served as vice president in the early years. He helped found the Helena Riding Academy for the Handicapped in 1981. He served on the Lewis & Clark County Fair Board and Last Chance Stampede and Fair committees for 18 years, including chairing the fair for five years and the rodeo for three. He was co-founder and president of the Helena ’77 Rodeo Association, a non-profit organization formed to bring the 1977 National High School Rodeo to Helena. He served as president for both the Helena Horse Council and the Helena Trail Riders. He also co-founded and served as president for the Friends of the Fairgrounds and the Lewis & Clark Fairgrounds Users organizations.
In his spare time, Roy officiated more than 1,200 high school and college sports contests. He umpired baseball for 10 years in Colorado, officiated basketball for 17 years, and football for 20 years in Colorado and Montana. Former Carroll College football coach Bob Petrino, in honoring Roy with the Warren Nelson Award for Outstanding Support of Carroll College Athletics in 1995, allowed that “he never cost us a game.” Roy considered that high praise.
Roy’s dedication to youth sports and his community was recognized throughout his life. He received distinguished service awards from the Montana High School Association, the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association, the Durango and Helena Jaycees, and the Helena Chamber of Commerce. In addition to the Warren Nelson award, Roy received the Dick Muffick Award for Service and Support of Helena Athletics from Carroll College in 1994. In 2004 he was inducted into the Helena Sports Hall of Fame.
Roy’s wife Lois died of cancer in 1988. Shortly before her death Roy wrote his first cowboy poem, an act that became a hobby and then a way of life. In 1993 he published a book of original cowboy poetry titled Horseback in the Hills, which included a collection of his rodeo and trail riding photos.
In the following years he traveled to cowboy poetry gatherings in seven states and Canada to perform. He spent many summer nights sleeping under the stars after a long day in the saddle helping people from across the globe experience their first cattle drive. In the evenings he entertained—“to use the term loosely,” he would say—guests around the campfire with his cowboy poetry.
Roy retired from the Helena Independent Record in 1996. “My job got to interfering with my fun,” he said, “so I quit my job.”
When he wasn’t on his horse in the mountains, Roy made a daily habit of picking up his mail at the post office and then stopping by the Parrot Confectionary in downtown Helena for a cup of coffee. That’s where he met Dianne O’Loughlin the day after Thanksgiving 1997. Roy and Di married August 20, 1998 and shared a life filled with horses, rodeos, cattle drives, and cowboy poetry. Di was with Roy when he passed.
Roy’s ability to remember faded in the last few years of his life, but his good-natured humor and gentle disposition persisted to the end. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed.
Roy was preceded in death by his father Fred Pace, his mother Carrie (Smith) Pace, brothers Jake and Cecil, and his first wife Lois (Martin) Pace. He is survived by his wife Dianne Pace, daughter Jody Pace Davie (Angus) of New London, Ontario, Canada, daughter Sherry Talseth of Helena, son Gordy Pace (Bonnie) of Missoula, stepchildren Chris O’Loughlin (Kelli) of Gillette, Wyo., Meg White (Joe) of Helena, Heather Hudson (Kenny) of Helena, eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life event is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 29, 2022 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N Montana Ave., with a reception to follow the service in the Social Hall of the funeral home.
The family suggests memorials to the Lewis and Clark Friends of the Fairgrounds, or to any charity of choice.
Service Schedule
Celebration of His Life
11:00 a.m.
Saturday October 29, 2022
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
Following the service
Saturday October 29, 2022
Social Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Service Schedule
Celebration of His Life
11:00 a.m.
Saturday October 29, 2022
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
Reception
Following the service
Saturday October 29, 2022
Social Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, Montana 59602
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Patricia says
My condolences to all of you in Roy’s family.. I’m an old friend of Jody’’s from Helena. And we are both Canadians now. Roy was such an amazing man.. how did he accomplish so much?
I know you will miss him, as I miss my dad who passed in 2021.
Much love and enjoy celebrating Roy!
Patricia Forte(Patti Sheets)
❤️
Doris Romanisko says
What an outstanding life story, and the legacies he left behind. We should all aspire to be a little more like Roy Pace.
Brett French says
I was lucky to work with Roy at the Independent Record. Even on tight deadlines he was always cool, gracious and polite. Happy trails Roy. Brett French
Mary Kay Bennett says
We didn’t know him personally, but always admired him from afar. I imagine he’s visiting about sports with Cato Butler up in the Last Best Place.
Hope there are horses and dogs in heaven.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Sharon Pelletier says
What a life! An honor to have met him! May he be at peace and watch over his family from afar. Back in the saddle again! Love to you Di.🤗
Judy Gardner says
Di and all the family. I send my condolences. I have know Roy for so many years and it has been a pleasure. Many Helena Trail Riders meetings, activities and trail rides together are lasting experiences and we worked together in the Helena Riding Academy and I was so thankful for the advise and help he offered.
Lynn Cheek says
My heart breaks for you and your family 💔 He was a special man. I used to work with him 😪 May he rest in peace.
Bob Braico says
Di and family, I’m so sorry to read of Roy’s passing in the Sunday paper. I have fond memories of the good times on the annual Blackfoot City rides, the weekly luncheons at Jorgenson’s with the fellas and, more recently, dinners at Perkins. I’ll sure miss him.
Mary Pat Sias Dutton says
Jody, Sherry, Gordy and family, please accept my condolences on the loss of Roy. He was one of the best! I have many memories of his time providing leadership to Helena Trailriders. I can still picture him bent down in the arena dirt to get that perfect photo. My greatest memories though are through the friendship he had with my dad. They put hundreds of miles in riding together thru the hills, swapping stories. Happy trails Roy!
Joseph Anderson says
Wishing condolences to Roy’s family. Roy’s passing truly reminds so many about his remarkable career and influence on the Helena community. Like so many, I met Roy through the coach-reporter route. I remember his yellow flag nearly hitting me at Vigilante stadium. He was reminding me that the game was his to control and I needed to stay on the sideline. I remember Roy interviewing me about an upcoming cross town girls’ track meet. He was always so accurate in his reporting, sometimes painfully so. That interview got me into a world of controversy after I foolishly insisted about my teams’ overwhelming victory over Coach Shirley’s Capital squad. We lost. Again, perhaps, Roy helped remind me to stay humble on the sideline. As said by so many after hearing of his passing, Roy was a gentleman, an articulate writer, a generous, community contributor and friend to all. A special wish of condolence to Roy’s daughter, Jody, who I had the privilege of teaching at HHS. Your father
left a legacy. RIP.
Kevin Giles says
I worked with Roy in the Independent Record newsroom on Saturday nights. His work ethic left me in awe. He often came from a rodeo or football game to develop film, print his photos, write stories and put together the sports section in a few hours before deadline. Over the many years I worked with Roy I never saw him retreat from his hard-charging ways, always delivered with a smile.
Nikki Cory says
I had the pleasure of serving Roy when I worked at The Parrot several years ago. He was such a nice man and I loved chatting with him when he came in. My condolences to the family at this sad time.
Nikki Cory
Annette Williams says
Dear Jody, Mark and I were sorry to hear of your Dad’s passing. He was a wonderful man who contributed so much to the lives of people in Helena. I know you will miss him a lot. Take care, Annette Williams
John Cherie Dahl says
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family 🙏 Roy was a friend from our Jaycee days 😊
Dan and Lonnie Collings says
So sorry to hear of Roy’s passing. He was such a special person. My dad enjoyed riding and talking with him. I’m sure he is now riding another trail with his friends who have gone before him.
Helen Pace says
Roy was a special man and brother-in-law. He is greatly missed. One fall he came to visit and we invited several neighbors and friends for an evening of Cowboy Poetry. What a fun evening! He recited poetry for over and hour and a half. Miss you!
constancebutgereit says
Friends and family, Whilst our life is a new life without our loved ones, yours and my pa, affectionately called: dad, grandpa Kinslow, PawPaw, Bob, Robert – we must go on & go on we must, by God’s help&grace; the Holy Spirit’s, Jesus’ & the saints’ intercedings. Even tho’ we’ve never met, your loss is mine and now ‘tis a true missing! For the Messiah gave a new commandment an yet says that we love one another as he has loved us, so the world will know that we’re his disciples. Now, the only way we can do this is to be saved – be born again(spiritually) Humbly, i submit with love & giving of thanks to God for all, bear your burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ; bc, i’m saved an i’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus! He’s my elder brother an his Father is my Father ~Ginsa k
P.S. Jesus pray’d that his disciples all be one as he an his Father are one, which was fulfilled. He foretold many false Christs would arise and deceive many, which was fulfilled. Any religion started before him is too early and any started after him is too late, so; now the message is to come out from among them and be separate,saith the Lord Almighty: touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and ye shall be my sons and daughters and I will be your Father.
It is written he looked for some to have pity on him, but; there was no man to comfort him.- Lamentations 1.21