On the evening of December 24 ^th , 2019, following a family Christmas Eve dinner and laughter-inspiring Mickey Rooney impressions while viewing a favorite film, Breakfast at Tiffany's , longtime Alameda, California resident Roy Lee Stark passed away peacefully in Warren, Illinois. He was 75.

Roy was born on October 22, 1944, in Twin Falls, Idaho, the youngest child of Neal & Julia (Forrester) Stark, who divorced shortly after his birth. After graduating from Paola High School in Paola, Kansas, Roy went on to complete bachelor's and master's degrees at Emporia State University and was the only person in his family to complete college. During his tenure at ESU, he was a two-term president of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. His "brothers" remained lifelong friends, and he spoke often of their antics, usually with a glint in his eye and wry smile.

In Kansas City, in 1977, Roy was introduced to his future wife Marsha by her neighbor, his best friend's mother. He loved to tell stories of courting her: giving her extra points at racquetball just for showing up, sending roses when he knew she was headed out on a date with a rival, twirling her around the dancefloor, and ultimately beating out 5 other suitors to 'get the girl.' When he proposed, it came with a caveat: "If you say yes, you have to move to San Francisco with me."

And move they did, in the spring of 1979, on their "honeymoon." For 4 years, they resided in San Francisco, with daughter Jennifer arriving in 1981. In 1983, the family made the move across the bay to Alameda, where they would reside for several decades.

Roy had a distinguished technology sales career and would regale with tales of the early days when a single computer system took up an entire building. His ability to forge strong relationships and cross many cultural boundaries was apparent in his professional successes working across Asia and around the world.

Marsha and Roy loved travel, touring Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and across the U.S. together. On his final night with his family, he was still making plans for trips in 2020; first to historic Charleston, SC, then a visit back to Emporia State to stay at his old fraternity house, which was recently converted to a B&B.

After his family, Roy's true passion was sailing. His first sailboat, a 26' Ericson, made the move from Kansas to the San Francisco Bay, first to Pier 39, later to Alameda. The boat had no name for years, and after eliciting and rejecting many ideas from his family, he settled on the Jenny Wren , the nickname he'd given his daughter as a premature baby and which persisted on two subsequent sailboats. Family social life revolved around their yacht clubs and the wonderful friends they made there; first at Ballena Bay Yacht Club (1984-2002) and later the Oakland Yacht Club (2002-2017).

At BBYC, he was famous for his annual lamb dinners, which always included his secret breathe-on-someone-and-you'll-kill-them, garlicy Caesar salad recipe. An avid chef, Roy loved cooking and all food, no matter how exotic. He was a consummate food critic; his family often joking he had missed his professional calling.

Roy and Marsha retired from Alameda to Lakewood Ranch, Florida in 2017. Roy loved the Florida weather, but always missed the Bay Area.

He will be remembered always as a loving husband and father, with the wind in his hair, either from sailing on the bay or one of his many convertibles (he never drove anything else), teasing us about something, giving a "history lesson," with a twinkle in his eye and smiling at all of us while we toasted the chef after another amazing meal.

Roy is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marsha (Balbach); his beloved daughter Jennifer, previously of Alameda, CA, currently of Chicago, IL; his sister Nolene Hensley of Afton, OK; his sister-in-law Mary Stark of Clifton, MO; his sisters-in-law Sandra (Balbach) Shea and her husband Tom of Janesville, WI, and Jean (Balbach) Beeler and her husband Chris of Freeport, IL; his mother-in-law Jane (Hicks) Balbach of Warren, IL; nieces and nephews; and countless treasured friends.

He was preceded in death by his son Richard (from a previous marriage), his brother Wesley, his father Neal, his mother Julia Klinefelter, and his father-in-law John Balbach.

Graveside services will be private. A celebration of life is being planned in Alameda, CA for later this year. Please share a memory or condolence with the family.