Roy Wayne Ferrell

Roy Wayne Ferrell died peacefully at home from Acute Myeloid Leukemia and entered heaven on August 31st, 2025, just one day shy of his 82nd birthday.

Roy was a big fish in a small pond. He was born on September 1st, 1943 to parents, Roy Edward Ferrell and Dorothy Mary Etta Smith. They were long-time residents of Kaufman, Texas and faithful members of First Baptist Church of Kaufman.

Roy grew up on East 10th Street, a dead-end dirt road on the edge of town, near the railroad tracks, with best friend, Doug Whittenburg, where they flattened pennies on the tracks, hunted, fished, and did little boy things.

Roy graduated from Kaufman High School class of 1962 and was persuaded to join the United States Navy. While in the Navy, he married Judy Casselberry, on December 19th, 1964, and had twin sons, Kirk and Ken, in 1965.

Finding a fossil during a third grade field trip prompted Roy to attend the University of Texas at Dallas with an interest in Native American Anthropology. Following the heartbreaking loss of his beloved wife, Roy sought new connections and found renewed purpose in service, beginning a devoted career in firefighting. After the fifth proposal, he finally married Kay Parker, at Chevy Chase Baptist Church in Washington D.C., on November 30th, 1971 and had his third son, Nick, in 1979.

Roy raised his family in Garland, Texas for 20 years and then moved back to Kaufman in 1994. He continued to be a pillar in the Kaufman community beyond his retirement in 2005.

With family at the forefront, Roy cared ceaselessly for Kay during her 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease ending in 2023. He found renewed joy and spent his last years living life to the fullest with his fiancé, Kay Cole.

Roy worked hard. He built fences as a kid, painted houses, delivered Jaguar cars to Steak & Ale employees, and welded horse trailers. In the Navy, he was Quartermaster of the USS Vernon County tank landing ship earning the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. As a firefighter for 38 years, Dr. Ferrell graduated 1st in his Rookie class, traveled as a paramedic with Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush, and delivered 35 babies. He was the Driver Engineer, Instructor for Driver and Paramedic Training, Committee Chair for the Awards Banquet, MDA Rodeo, and Yearbook, invented a suction and electrical device, and was voted both Paramedic and Firefighter of The Year all for the Dallas Fire Department.

Roy also built a remarkable portfolio of enterprises, including Willow Creek Storage, a thriving operation with more than 30 units and long-term tenants; Wilmaco Trailer Company, a respected name in its field; and Ferrell Enterprises, an expansive venture encompassing more than 14 rental properties along with land, warehouses, barns, tractors, and trailers. His ability to cultivate opportunity and transform it into enduring success reflected not only his sharp business insight but also his unwavering commitment to building a legacy for generations to come.

Roy played hard. He traveled to all 50 states and several countries, played golf, participated in a 42 Club, was a great dancer, sometimes hustled people while shooting pool, watched a lot of Fox News, listened to classic rock and country legends music, read Tom Clancy books, could often be found ridin’ around town going to Wally World, and once sang “Whiskey River” with Willie Nelson.

Roy was a true public servant. He organized and taught Emergency Medical Training Classes in Kaufman in 1980 and created the first ambulance service in Kaufman County as a Consultant to the Kaufman Ambulance Committee. He served for over 19 years as Chairman of the KART and STAR Transit Board of Directors earning the namesake of the Operation Center Building. He was President of both the Kaufman Cemetery Association and the Kaufman Economic Development Corporation, Vice President of The Kaufman Ex-Student Association, and a member of the Kaufman City Council Planning and Zoning Commission. He was especially proud to be on the Kaufman County Vietnam Memorial Committee where he helped establish the Traveling Vietnam Wall as a permanent part of the Kaufman County Memorial Park.

Roy loved food. He made the best Chicken Enchiladas and regularly enjoyed his favorites: Julio’s Chicken, McDonald’s Diet Coke, Chicken Fried Rice from Bristol General Store, Costco chicken salad, and ice cream (especially lavender ice cream, Ham’s Peach ice cream, Bluebell Ice Cream Sandwiches, and ice cream cups from the freezer).

Roy loved helping. He helped countless people and animals and always had several projects going at the same time. He had a menagerie of backyard friends that he cared for including: trapping raccoons and releasing them in safer locations, feeding and building a heated enclosure for feral cats, making picnic tables for the squirrels’ food, and relentlessly filling bird feeders for his favorite cardinals and humming birds. He volunteered as a Kids Hope USA National Mentor to Christopher Welch where he developed a life-long friendship. He established the Judy Casselberry and Kay Parker Ferrell Memorial College Scholarship. He also helped to solve all of the world’s problems with daily group discussions at the bank.

Roy loved collections. He had a closet of guns, a shop full of treasures, a garage filled with tools, pocket knives for every occasion including cleaning fingernails, opening packages, and cutting cheese, framed Indian arrowheads, owned many Dallas Fire Department shirts and Vietnam hats, and had a steady stream of stray cats affectionately named: Bad Cat, Sad Cat, Bad Kitty Junior, Mean Kitty, Hershey, Lemon, Snickers, and Parmesan Cheese.

Most of all, Roy loved God. He believed the acceptance of Jesus Christ was the only way to make it through this world. He had a passion for sharing his faith with others, especially when teaching the Men’s Bible Study group and on several church Mission Trips to Mexico. He created the First Baptist Church Handy Helpers, where he offered a helping hand motivated by care and compassion, embodying 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all you do be done in love.” He did not, however, believe in dishwashers and preferred to wash every dish by hand.

Roy is preceded in death by: his parents, Roy Edward Ferrell and Dorothy Mary Etta Smith, his wives, Judy Casselberry and Kay Parker, and his brother, Ricky Ferrell (Lailia).

Those left to cherish his memories are: his loving fiancé, Kay Cole, his three adored sons: Nick Ferrell (Jaime), Kirk Ferrell (Helaena), and Ken Ferrell, his ten precious grandchildren: Tyler Ferrell (Madison), Maci Johnson (Corey), Kallan Ferrell (Elle), Sydney Lanier (Jimmy), Kennedy Bailey (Blake), Dylan Patterson (Molly), Adam Mohundro, Paisley Ferrell, Presley Ferrell, and Parker Ferrell, his ten treasured great-grandchildren: Rylee, Brayden, Waylon, JonGrayson, Bruce, Aston, Warner, Miles, Caroline, and Levi, his three sisters: Cindy Duck (Andy), Becky Ferrell (Danny), and Kathryn Ferrell, his numerous nieces and nephews, and his friends that became family.

We will dearly miss our loving, generous, helpful, and irreplaceable Husband, Dad, Papaw, Uncle, and Friend. Roy always said, “It’s not what I know. It’s what I did.“ He won’t miss the circus, but he sure will miss the clowns.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Tunnel to Towers Foundation www.t2t.org St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org