Roy Cecil Delong
October 18, 1947 – September 6, 2023
Roy Cecil Delong, age 75, passed away Wednesday, September 6, 2023 in Lynden. He was born in Vancouver, B.C., on October 18, 1947, to Roy Daniel and Christina “Dot” (McAllister) Butts. He grew up in Sandspit, in the Queen Charlotte Islands, but relocated to Richmond, B.C., when he was 12 years old. Roy attended Steveston High School and upon graduation moved to London where he worked and lived with flat mates for a year. He enjoyed traveling and spent time backpacking, hitchhiking, taking ferries and trains around Europe where he would stay in youth hostels and make friends.
Upon hearing his only sibling, his sister Brenda, was getting married, he booked a one-way ticket and moved back to Vancouver. Roy then got a job working at the B.C. Ferries, where he spent the next 35 years working his way up to the dock and trades supervisor position – enabling him to travel around the Queen Charlotte Islands again. Roy talked constantly about his friends at work (thanks Mark, Doug, and everyone else for loving Roy so much, he loved you all back).
Roy married Carol Linda Crabtree on August 17, 1974. Their first kid, Danny, was born June 18, 1975. Five years later their daughter, Lindsay, was born on June 28, 1980. Roy loved a few things deeply, the main one was his family and grandchildren (the others were sports, his friends and traveling to Hawaii).
What a lot of people don’t know is that Roy played hockey, for the Blaine Smugglers. Roy loved sports and enjoyed watching his son play football, soccer, and track. Roy also enjoyed watching his son grow into a truly great artist and his daughter attain her second-degree black belt in karate. Roy also was a great listener and played a huge role in contributing to his daughter’s counseling career, where she listens to people the way Roy taught her.
Roy is survived by his wife Carol; his son Danny; his daughter and son-in-law Lindsay and Tom; his grandchildren Sophia (Danny’s daughter) and Adeline and Alexander (Lindsay and Tom’s kids); as well as his sister Brenda and all the extended family, nieces, and nephews.
Roy would want everyone to know, it’s going to be ok, he loves you all and he’ll see you again.
Thank you for the prayers, cards, visits, and flowers. Thank you to the Lynden Christian Health Care Center for their
excellent care.
Services will be held at the Grace Lutheran Church in Blaine at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 30. In lieu of flowers you can make donations to the Grace Lutheran Church or your favorite charity.
Please share your thoughts and memories online at, www.sigsfuneralservices.com.
