Roy B. Sturwold

Roy B. Sturwold, 91, of Russia, passed away peacefully with family by his side, on Friday, June 12th at Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy, following a brief illness.

Roy was born on February 9th, 1935, near Dayton, OH to the late Bernard and Christene (Huwer) Sturwold.

Roy married Mary Greiner on June 24th, 1967 at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church Virginia.

Roy is survived by Mary, his wife of 58 years. Additional survivors include his children Sharon (Jeff) Krietemeyer of Cincinnati, Theresa (Chris) Siefring of Fort Recovery, Carol Stillman of Powell and Mike (Monica) Sturwold of Cincinnati, his sister, Sr. Rita Sturwold SND de Namur of Cincinnati, and a brother-in-law Thomas Greiner.

He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Alex, Yana, and Ben Krietemeyer; Sarah (Isaac) Rush, Abe, Dan, and Nick Siefring, and JJ and Cole Stillman. He was also anxiously awaiting the birth of his first great-grandchild later in June.

Besides his parents, Roy was preceded in death by his brother Robert Sturwold, and his brother-in-law Joseph Greiner Jr.

After graduating from Chaminade High School in 1953, Roy graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Agriculture Economics. Soon after, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Fort Irwin, CA.

Roy’s passion for farming developed when he was a young boy working on his grandparents’ farms. He was able to purchase a farm near Russia in 1964, where he and Mary spent their entire married life. In addition to farming, Roy worked in agricultural sales for several companies over the years.

Roy passionately taught his children to help on the farm, and to be stewards of the land that the Lord blessed us with.

In addition to being a lifelong farmer, Roy at times seemed to be a teacher at heart. Besides teaching his kids how to tend to the crops and chickens, he also taught CCD at St. Remy as well as St. Denis. He taught swimming lessons to a group of Russia children at the Piqua YMCA, and taught his children, grandchildren, and others how to waterski, a sport he continued until he was in his 70’s.

Roy was an avid blood donor, even into his later years, amassing well over 100 lifetime donations.

Roy was always interested in classic cars, a hobby he shares with several of his grandsons, and always enjoyed going to car shows. Model trains were also a hobby he carried over from his childhood into adulthood, when he would construct train setups in the basement with buildings depicting the buildings on his own farm.

Roy was a member of St. Remy Catholic Church, Shelby County Farm Bureau, and Shelby County Right to Life.

The family would like to thank the neighbors, friends, and community members who have been so supportive, especially these last few weeks.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday June 17th at 10:30 A.M. at St. Remy Catholic Church.

Viewing will be from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16th and from 9-10 A.M. on Wednesday June 17th at Hogenkamp Funeral Home in Russia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: RACK (Random Acts of Christian Kindness), the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, or Hospice of Dayton.