Gayle L. Roach quietly passed away on November 9th, 2020 in his home where he lived with his wife Leona and their German Shepherd Scooby. He bravely struggled with Parkinson’s for over 10+ years but a stroke finally took him down.
Gayle was born May 25, 1938 in Sargent, Nebraska and was the oldest of nine children born to Wayne and Fern (Clarke) Roach of Sargent, Ne. Gayle grew up on a farm outside Sargent Nebraska and attended schools there till he moved to Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska where he graduated from Lincoln High School.
Gayle married Mary Jean Yonkey (now Carleson) of Lincoln, Nebraska and they had two children, Todd L and Lisa Kay Roach. They lived in Lincoln Nebraska until they moved to Minnesota where Gayle began work for Kittson County Soil and Conservation. Gayle and Mary were divorced in Kittson County, Minnesota in 1979. Mary still lives in Hallock, Minnesota.
Gayle’s second wife was Laury Beaulac. They married in Polk, Minnesota and lived there till they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska for a new job in construction. They divorced in 1981 when she moved back to Minnesota.
Gayle met his third wife Leona Lorraine Shoemaker Lant later in 1981 at a church they were both attending. They married on February 14, 1982. Gayle adopted Leona’s daughter Julie (age 10) a year later.
Gayle’s last job in Lincoln before retirement in 2000 was with the Nebraska Department of Corrections where he was a Corrections Corporal for 16 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents Wayne and Fern; his brothers Ronald, Lyle, Mick Roach plus sister Jo Ellen.
Survivors include: his current wife, Leona, former wives Mary & Laurie, his son Todd Roach; his daughters Lisa Roach and Julie Sykes; a brother Les Roach; his sisters Sandra Yonkey, Pam Rutt, and Ginger Lyons; sisters-in-laws Laura Moore, Elaine Murphy, Mary Brown, Jean O’Connor, Kathy Hardy, Marcia Shoemaker, Cheryl Roach, Patty Williams, Doris Hall, Donna Doolittle, and Marjorie Bauer; brothers-in-laws Leon and Ken Shoemaker, Lee Brown, Tim Murphy, Pat O’Conner, Terry Yonkey, Terry Rutt, and Bernie Lyons; his eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.