Roy Cani Chavez, loving husband and father of three children, passed away at age 69 on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 of a heart attack in his home.

Roy was born on March 13, 1950 in Fort Lewis, WA to Rafael and Melania Chavez. On March 9, 1978, he married Mary Bigelow in Mesa, AZ. They raised two daughters, Michelle and Renee, and one son, Jeremiah. He worked at the Duluth Transit Authority and loved going to work each day; he didn’t have any plans to retire.

Roy had a passion for family and was a devoted sibling, son, husband, father and papa. As a first generation American, Roy enthusiastically researched his lineage. In his early years, Roy was quite adventurous with water-skiing, skydiving, and driving fast cars. He then became a husband and father and settled down into family life. More recently, Roy enjoyed traveling with his wife and family. He traveled to Western Europe (Spain, Italy, and Germany were highlights) and made more trips to Disney World than he probably liked.

Roy loved napping in his favorite chair and his faithful 50-pound “lap-dog”, Milo, was always nearby. He usually napped while watching beloved favorites on television: reruns of M*A*S*H, old Westerns, Perry Mason, and NCIS. While Roy could be described as a crusty old coot, he had a solid heart of gold. Roy loved his wife, Mary, and was always there for his kids to help them out however he could. With his granddaughter, Ava, and dog, Milo, Roy’s crusty exterior melted away; he lavished love and attention on them both.

Roy was preceded in death by his father, Rafael, mother, Melania and sister, Judy. He is survived by his wife Mary, his three children, Michelle, Renee, and Jeremiah, his siblings Katie, Ruby, and Brian, granddaughter Ava and many cousins, aunties, nieces, and nephews.

All are welcome to attend his Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 14th, 2020 at the Moose Lake Area Historical Society (900 Folz Blvd, Moose Lake, MN) at 11 o’clock a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Children’s Grief Connection at childrensgriefconnection.com.