Roy LaVerne Tennant

Roy LaVerne Tennant—“Pop-Pop” May 6, 1947 – November 20, 2025

Roy LaVerne Tennant was born in Santa Cruz, California on May 6, 1947, to Elmer Tennant and Margaret Marie Ingersoll. He grew up alongside his older brother, Ray Tennant (deceased), and graduated from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, CA.

Roy answered his nation’s call and served in the United States Army from July 1967 to July 1969. He served proudly with the 1st Infantry Division “Big Red One” and the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. His decorations included the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with “V” Device for Valor, Combat Infantryman Badge, and multiple expert marksmanship badges. He never forgot what that service meant, and he took great pride in being, as he liked to say, a “crazy disgruntled veteran.”

On November 4, 1972, Roy married Toni Marie Benavente, the great love of his life. He devoted himself to her through every chapter, including years as her primary caregiver through her Multiple Sclerosis and her later cancer diagnosis. She preceded him in death on November 5, 2017, and there was no doubt Roy remained head-over-heels in love with her until his final day.

Roy was the proud father of Cindi Girard (Steve) and Kayla Wallace (Trevor), and the deeply adored “Pop-Pop” to Jayce, Madison, Alaina, and Lucas. In 2023, he moved to Sevierville, Tennessee to be near his grandchildren—one of the greatest joys of his life.

Roy worked many jobs over the years—millworker, commercial truck driver, medical courier—but the role that defined him was the one he loved most: school bus driver. He drove for many years in Southern Oregon, forming real relationships with the kids on his route. He took pride in driving field trips, weekend ski shuttles to Mt. Ashland, and in training new drivers for their CDL certifications. He even drove support for the Crater Lake Rim Run. For Roy, driving a bus wasn’t just a job—it was community, mentorship, and service.

Roy was known for many things:

• A fisherman at heart – skilled, patient, and happiest near water.
• A hunter, but fishing was always his favorite.
• A talented bowler who spent many happy hours at the lanes.
• A softball umpire for many years and famously delighted in throwing people out of games when they talked trash.
• A Bones (dominoes) player who showed no mercy to anyone, including his grandkids.
• A lover of cooking, of making a spectacular mess in the kitchen, and combining recipes from cooking shows into unpredictable creations.
• An enthusiastic sports fan—the LA Kings, Lakers, Steelers, Angels, and later in life, the Mariners.
• A legendary marijuana grower and smoker, proud of the skill and flavorful plants he cultivated.
• A master storyteller and nonstop jokester, often toeing the line between hilarious and wildly inappropriate.
• A man with a giant middle-finger tattoo on his leg, a wink at how he moved through the world—with humor, boldness, and no apologies.

Everyone who knew Roy will remember him as:

• Stubborn

• Funny

• Loved

• A royal pain in the ass—in the best possible way

He made friends everywhere: gas stations, checkout lines, bank tellers, strangers he’d just met. People loved him because he was real. He valued friendship above everything, keeping in touch with high-school friends into his 70s. He picked on people constantly, and they loved him all the more for it.

Roy was the kind of man who always showed up: he never missed games, practices, or tournaments. He worked tirelessly as the sole breadwinner so his family never went without. He raised his daughters with love, humor, grit, and endless rides to wherever they needed to go.

Above all else, Roy will be missed for simply being him—the jokes, the conversations, the stubbornness, the daily phone calls, the laughter, the warmth, the flirting with the edge of “you can’t say that,” the big heart underneath the rough edges. He was deeply loved, deeply stubborn, and absolutely unforgettable.

He is survived by his daughters, grandchildren, many friends, and all who were lucky enough to know him. He is reunited now with Toni, the love of his life.

Please share a memory of Roy in his guestbook.