Obituary for Grace Munro Roy
Grace Jackson Munro Roy, a teacher for all of her days, died March 2, 2021, after a brief illness.
A business professor at Brevard College for 36 years, Mrs. Roy also taught at Cool Springs High School, Forest City, NC; and Johnson Air Force Base in Japan while her husband, Thomas F. Munro was stationed there. In addition to her academic teaching, she taught Sunday school classes, led youth groups and taught the business of living to everyone she touched.
She also served as editor and reporter at the McCall Messenger, McCall, SC; secretary for the base commander at Johnson AFB and secretary to SC Sen. Ed Tatum.
A native of Clio, SC, Mrs. Roy was a graduate of Winthrop College (now University) in Rock Hill, SC, and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, graduating cum laude with a Master's Degree in business. While teaching at Brevard College, her first job, she met her husband and married him Feb. 10, 1945. Thomas Munro died Oct. 22, 1971.
Passionate about service to others, she found ways to serve in everything she did. Her life outside her family and career was friendship. She attracted people to her by her acceptance and support of everyone, her lilting laugh which sounded often and the little things she did to make people feel welcome and loved.
She traveled much, living in Japan as well as in Alabama, Illinois, South Carolina, Nebraska and North Carolina. She traveled on cruises and to Germany, Egypt, Israel, Hong Kong and Scotland and loved to relive those trips with others.
Active in non-educational roles while at Brevard College, she served as College Marshal and chaired and served on various committees, including Academic Standards, Tenure, Presidential Search and Building and Grounds. She also served as faculty adviser with Westminster Fellowship, a Presbyterian student group. In 2018 she and her husband, Ed Roy, were honored to have the atrium of the newly renovated McLarty-Goodson Academic Building named the C. Edward and Grace Jackson Munro Roy Atrium.
A member of Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church since 1956, she was elected to the Session in 1972, the first woman to serve as an Elder at the church. She also served as chair of the Christian Education and the Friends and Fellowship committees and the Committee of the Ministry. She served as moderator of Presbyterian Women and was director of both junior and senior youth groups as well as a Sunday school teacher. She also was active on the Presbytery level, serving as secretary of the Christian Education Committee and the Presbytery Council, member of the Committee on Representation, Enabler for Cluster IV, Presbytery of Western North Carolina, moderator of Presbyterian Women and on the Synod level as director of communications. She also was a Presbytery Commissioner to the General Assembly in 1980.
When she married her second husband, Rev. C. Edward Roy, in 1994 after 23 years as a widow, the two were active participants in their respective churches. The ultimate decision was to alternate attendance – one Sunday was Presbyterian, the next Methodist. He died Nov. 1, 2008.
Mrs. Roy was a life member of AAUW, having joined the group in 1956. She served as president and secretary of the organization as well as on the Nominating Committee and chaired the Education Committee. She also spent many years working with the annual AAUW book sale, which raises money for scholarship and grants for local girls and women. She was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary teachers' organization, and served on both the local and state levels, and later was named an honorary member of DKG, Gamma Upsilon chapter. She also was a former member of Delta Pi Epsilon, honor society in business education.
Her civic activities included memberships and various offices with the Friends of the Library, Home Health Advisory Board, local American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity, Community Relations Committee, Transylvania Community Hospital Auxiliary board, chair of Continuing Education Committee at Brevard College, and tutoring.
She has been honored at Brevard College with the Grace Munro Scholarship, given by a former student, and at Winthrop University with the Grace Jackson Munro Roy Scholarship given by her husband. The C. Edward and Grace M. Roy Endowed Scholarship also was established at Brevard College in their names. Mrs. Roy created a scholarship at Brevard College in honor of Thomas F. Munro, an alumnus and her first husband, and another in honor of Jenny Munro, her daughter who was also a graduate of Brevard College. In addition, she established a scholarship at Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC, in honor of Karon Goldsmith, who led the nursing staff at College Walk and encouraged young people under her supervision who wanted to further their education in the health care field.
Mrs. Roy was named Teacher of the Year in 1976 by the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society. She also was inducted into the Brevard College Honor Roll and Hall of Fame for faculty and staff and was named a Distinguished Faculty by the Brevard College Alumni Association. She is listed in the International Book of Honor, The World Who's Who of Women in Education, Community Leaders of America and International Register of Profiles.
Survivors include her daughter, Jenny Munro, Greer, SC; her son, Chip Munro, Wellington, FL; her granddaughters, Shannon Munro, Washington, DC; and Amanda Munro, Bradenton, FL; her stepdaughter and her husband, Becki and Roger Benfield, Mills River; her step grandsons and their wives, Jason and Amy Benfield, Brooklyn, NY; and Shane and Sarah Benfield, Fort Worth, Texas; six step great grandchildren, Gabe Benfield, Brooklyn; and Sydney Benfield, Reese Benfield, Bryndle Benfield, Bradley Russell and Breyer Morgan, all of Fort Worth; and a great-great grandson, Kai Bailey, Fort Worth.
A private graveside service is planned for this weekend and a celebration of the life of Grace Munro Roy will be held later.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, Brevard College or the charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com
Moody-Connolly Funeral Home is caring for the family.
A business professor at Brevard College for 36 years, Mrs. Roy also taught at Cool Springs High School, Forest City, NC; and Johnson Air Force Base in Japan while her husband, Thomas F. Munro was stationed there. In addition to her academic teaching, she taught Sunday school classes, led youth groups and taught the business of living to everyone she touched.
She also served as editor and reporter at the McCall Messenger, McCall, SC; secretary for the base commander at Johnson AFB and secretary to SC Sen. Ed Tatum.
A native of Clio, SC, Mrs. Roy was a graduate of Winthrop College (now University) in Rock Hill, SC, and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, graduating cum laude with a Master's Degree in business. While teaching at Brevard College, her first job, she met her husband and married him Feb. 10, 1945. Thomas Munro died Oct. 22, 1971.
Passionate about service to others, she found ways to serve in everything she did. Her life outside her family and career was friendship. She attracted people to her by her acceptance and support of everyone, her lilting laugh which sounded often and the little things she did to make people feel welcome and loved.
She traveled much, living in Japan as well as in Alabama, Illinois, South Carolina, Nebraska and North Carolina. She traveled on cruises and to Germany, Egypt, Israel, Hong Kong and Scotland and loved to relive those trips with others.
Active in non-educational roles while at Brevard College, she served as College Marshal and chaired and served on various committees, including Academic Standards, Tenure, Presidential Search and Building and Grounds. She also served as faculty adviser with Westminster Fellowship, a Presbyterian student group. In 2018 she and her husband, Ed Roy, were honored to have the atrium of the newly renovated McLarty-Goodson Academic Building named the C. Edward and Grace Jackson Munro Roy Atrium.
A member of Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church since 1956, she was elected to the Session in 1972, the first woman to serve as an Elder at the church. She also served as chair of the Christian Education and the Friends and Fellowship committees and the Committee of the Ministry. She served as moderator of Presbyterian Women and was director of both junior and senior youth groups as well as a Sunday school teacher. She also was active on the Presbytery level, serving as secretary of the Christian Education Committee and the Presbytery Council, member of the Committee on Representation, Enabler for Cluster IV, Presbytery of Western North Carolina, moderator of Presbyterian Women and on the Synod level as director of communications. She also was a Presbytery Commissioner to the General Assembly in 1980.
When she married her second husband, Rev. C. Edward Roy, in 1994 after 23 years as a widow, the two were active participants in their respective churches. The ultimate decision was to alternate attendance – one Sunday was Presbyterian, the next Methodist. He died Nov. 1, 2008.
Mrs. Roy was a life member of AAUW, having joined the group in 1956. She served as president and secretary of the organization as well as on the Nominating Committee and chaired the Education Committee. She also spent many years working with the annual AAUW book sale, which raises money for scholarship and grants for local girls and women. She was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary teachers' organization, and served on both the local and state levels, and later was named an honorary member of DKG, Gamma Upsilon chapter. She also was a former member of Delta Pi Epsilon, honor society in business education.
Her civic activities included memberships and various offices with the Friends of the Library, Home Health Advisory Board, local American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity, Community Relations Committee, Transylvania Community Hospital Auxiliary board, chair of Continuing Education Committee at Brevard College, and tutoring.
She has been honored at Brevard College with the Grace Munro Scholarship, given by a former student, and at Winthrop University with the Grace Jackson Munro Roy Scholarship given by her husband. The C. Edward and Grace M. Roy Endowed Scholarship also was established at Brevard College in their names. Mrs. Roy created a scholarship at Brevard College in honor of Thomas F. Munro, an alumnus and her first husband, and another in honor of Jenny Munro, her daughter who was also a graduate of Brevard College. In addition, she established a scholarship at Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC, in honor of Karon Goldsmith, who led the nursing staff at College Walk and encouraged young people under her supervision who wanted to further their education in the health care field.
Mrs. Roy was named Teacher of the Year in 1976 by the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society. She also was inducted into the Brevard College Honor Roll and Hall of Fame for faculty and staff and was named a Distinguished Faculty by the Brevard College Alumni Association. She is listed in the International Book of Honor, The World Who's Who of Women in Education, Community Leaders of America and International Register of Profiles.
Survivors include her daughter, Jenny Munro, Greer, SC; her son, Chip Munro, Wellington, FL; her granddaughters, Shannon Munro, Washington, DC; and Amanda Munro, Bradenton, FL; her stepdaughter and her husband, Becki and Roger Benfield, Mills River; her step grandsons and their wives, Jason and Amy Benfield, Brooklyn, NY; and Shane and Sarah Benfield, Fort Worth, Texas; six step great grandchildren, Gabe Benfield, Brooklyn; and Sydney Benfield, Reese Benfield, Bryndle Benfield, Bradley Russell and Breyer Morgan, all of Fort Worth; and a great-great grandson, Kai Bailey, Fort Worth.
A private graveside service is planned for this weekend and a celebration of the life of Grace Munro Roy will be held later.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, Brevard College or the charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com
Moody-Connolly Funeral Home is caring for the family.