Roy Elton Warman, Jr., 82, died Thursday, February 28, 2008, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. Roy was born May 11, 1925, in Morgantown, West Virginia, to R. Elton and Della T. Warman. The eldest of three sons, he graduated from Morgantown High School in 1942. Roy attended West Virginia University for one year before enlisting in the U.S. Navy for two years. He returned to WVU, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1949 while helping run the family bakery business in Morgantown. He met Barbara (Bobbie) Elizabeth Jarvis, whom he married July 19, 1950.
Roy went on to earn his Master of Arts and Doctorate degrees in counseling psychology from The Ohio State University in 1950 and 1958, respectively. After two years as a counseling psychologist at the University of Texas, he joined the staff of Iowa State University in Ames in 1960 in the Department of Psychology and the Student Counseling Service. Roy served as Director of the SCS from 1967 until his retirement in 1988. He was a member of numerous professional organizations and served as president of the Central Iowa Psychological Association, the Iowa Psychological Association, the International Association of Counseling Services and the University and College Counseling Center Directors. In recognition of his counseling skills, he was a Diplomate of the American Psychological Association.
Roy was a very involved in the Ames community. He was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames since 1960. Roy enjoyed singing with the Ametones Barbershop Chorus for 34 years, was a member of the Ames Community Arts Council and was appointed to the Commission on the Arts (COTA). He was one of the founding members of the Open Line Crisis Hotline in Ames. Roy was a weekly volunteer at the Ames City Hall information desk for many years, and was an avid Cyclone sports fan, regularly attending football and basketball games for over 40 years.
Upon his retirement from ISU in 1988, Roy and Bobbie began traveling extensively, often with the Friendship Force Cultural Exchange Program. He truly enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures, and exchanging ideas and traditions.
The highlight of Roy's adult life was his family. He and Bobbie had three daughters -- Sue, Carol and Sara -- and lovingly welcomed sons-in-law and grandchildren over the years. Family gatherings were very important to Roy. He was known for his spicy homemade pizza, bass voice and love of gardening. Roy baked and decorated cakes for special occasions, including wedding cakes for all three of his daughters. He never met a stranger, and counted many long-time friends as part of his extended family. Roy led with a boisterous, booming voice, and a tender, loving heart through happy times as well as difficult moments. In spite of all the leadership positions he held, he really loved working from the background, assisting others to reach their goals.
Roy developed Lewy Body Dementia, which led to a gradual decline in his health the last several years. He faced his illness with grace and humor, never losing sight of his love for music and family.
Roy is survived by his wife of 57 years, Bobbie, and their three daughters and families: Sue Coburn and her husband Tom of Fort Collins, CO, and their children Becky, Erin and Sam; Carol Leligdon and her husband Dave of Lenexa, KS, and their children Margaret and Adam; and Sara Nelson and her husband Kirk of Atlantic, IA, and their children Brian and Tom. He is also survived by two brothers and sisters-in-law, Jim and Eudora Warman and Lynn and Frances Warman, and nieces and nephews.
Roy's family will greet friends at Grandon Funeral & Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, on Sunday, March 2 from 6 - 8 pm. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, 1015 N. Hyland, on Monday, March 3 at 10:30 am. Memorials may be made in Roy's honor to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, Israel Family Hospice House or the Ames Community Arts Council.