Obituary of Roy Edward Kinyon

WWII Navy Veteran | WNY Baseball Hall of Fame

At age 104, passed comfortably at the Buffalo Veteran’s Administration Hospital after living independently in his Lockport home just less than three weeks ago.

Roy was the son of the late Charles and Jennie (Sennett) Kinyon, beloved husband of the late Theresa (Balling) and brother of the late Ralph (Mary Margaret) Kinyon. He is survived by his sons Gary, Bruce (Roseanne), Carl (Jacqueline) and daughter Kathryn (Michael) Schultz. Dear grandfather of Dr. Carla (Dr. Peter) Frederick, Erik (Genevieve) Kinyon, Daniel (Krystal) Kinyon, Jennifer Kinyon, Richard Schultz, Stephen (Nikki) Schultz and Carolyn (Jeremy) Brettholz. Roy has 16 loving great grandchildren and several nieces & nephews.

Roy was born in a farm house in Appleton, NY in Niagara County. He and his older brother Ralph helped their father Charlie plant and harvest the crops on their farm. At an early age, their parents taught them how to play various card games such as bridge, euchre and cribbage which Roy still played with his sons daily.

While growing up on a farm was hard work, the brothers found time to play basketball and baseball at Barker High School. Roy was captain of both the 1941 basketball and baseball teams that each won Niagara-Orleans League Championships. In the summer of 1942, he played semi-pro baseball for Krull Park in Olcott. The Buffalo Bisons had invited him for a tryout for the following season but he knew the war was escalating and everybody would be called upon for service so he enlisted in the US Navy in November 1942. His brother Ralph decided to join the US Army’s Air Force Division.

After Basic Training, Roy was trained at various Naval facilities specializing in repairing vessel’s diesel engines ending up at Fort Pierce, FL Amphibious Training Base. The sailors continued training while waiting for their amphibious cargo assault ship to be built. Base Commander was manager of the Fort Pierce Commandos made up of professional and college players that played in the Florida Military League. Roy convinced BC to give him a tryout. After riding the bench for a couple of games, he pinched hit in late inning for a single to start a rally and the team batted around the lineup for Roy to get second hit to win the game. He was in the lineup from thereon traveling around Florida playing other military teams.

When the USS Shoshone AKA 65 was commissioned, they travel thru the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor. Roy was selected Chief of the 34 Motor Machinists responsible for the operation of 28 cargo boats aboard the vessel.

Mission was perfectly clear that the USS Shoshone was going to be part of the amphibious attack fleet in the Battle of Iwo Jima. As they traveled in the Pacific, they experienced Kamikaze suicide warplanes crashing on ships in their fleet. During the Invasion of Iwo Jima, USS Shoshone’s amphibious cargo attack vessels loaded with Marines and their German Shepard dogs were dropped on shore. USS Shoshone dropped anchor a couple hundred yards from shore. Roy had a crew member on each amphibious cargo boat as they continuously took food and ammunitions to Marines on shore and unfortunately brought back injured Marines. At night, ship would retreat out to sea, set up fog around ship so warplanes could not detect. On February 23, 1945, Roy witnessed the raising of the American Flag on Iwo Jima. 1st time flag went up, then came down but was raised again @20 minutes later. Boats horns were blaring as the loudest was the USS Missouri pulling alongside the Shoshone which sent chills up Roy’s spine.

At the conclusion of WWII, Roy returned home and played baseball again for Krull Park but broke his leg falling off equipment at his job site. Fortunately, he met his future wife, Theresa Balling, who was one of his nurses at Buffalo General Hospital. They moved to Lockport where Roy passed on his passion for sports by coaching his three sons, Gary, Bruce and Carl in baseball in the Lockport Little League, basketball at the YMCA and starting them in bowling at Allie Brandt’s Lanes.

Roy had a 35-year career first as an Inspector and then as Scheduler Dispatcher at General Motors’ Harrison Radiator all at the Main Plant on Walnut St in Lockport.

At age 100, the Buffalo Bisons found out about Roy’s story and invited him to throw out the 1st pitch at their traditional July 4th military salute game and signed a one-day contract to be a Bison forever. His story appeared in the Buffalo News and was covered by all three local TV stations with in person interviews. The story even made it onto ESPN “Shout Out” segment on SportsCenter. At age 101, Roy was inducted into the WNY Baseball Hall of Fame.

In retirement, Roy enjoyed swimming at the YMCA until age 99 but continued to carefully tend to his rose garden and hydrangeas. He enjoyed watching sports on TV especially the Bills. He was a fixture at his grandkids sporting events.

Funeral Arrangements

The family will receive friends Tuesday October 13th from 4-8 pm at Taylor and Reynolds Funeral Home at 70 Niagara St in Lockport, NY. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church at 168 Chestnut St in Lockport at 10 am on October 14th.