William Criswell

"The Final Check-Out" and " The Dog Days of Summer" are poems written by William ROY Criswell of Tacoma, Washington. ROY passed away Thursday, April 24, 2014 at age 50. He had arrived in Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, where he was planning to retire. He was due to close on a condo the following Monday. It was his ambition to find one with a golf course and a swimming pool. His real-estate agent found exactly what he wanted and even put a deposit on it to hold until he got there. He checked in a local motel on April 23, 2014 and ate the next two nights in a bar and grill not far from the motel. The owners of the restaurant related that he was very affable and had all the patrons laughing. ROY had a great sense of humor and enjoyed his life helping everyone he knew enjoy their lives too. THE BOY: ROY and his twin sister were born in Evreux France. When asked why he let Dana be born first he always responded that he was in NO HURRY. He was as diverse in his youth as he was in adulthood. He played football and baseball in Ohio, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. His favorite sport was baseball and later on golf. ROY was a pitcher and created a unique fast- ball with a slight curve. It was a "killer" pitch. He was named athlete of the year by the American Legion while living in Ohio. At age 16, ROY delivered pizzas and would sing to his customers. Later he became a disc-jockey and had quite a midnight following. He took peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches to work for he could not take a break. All his life, ROY loved peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. In his tiny room you could find crusts of bread hidden under his bed. Everything he did was unique and always with a good sense of humor. He graduated from Mercer University located in Macon, Georgia which is academically connected with Baylor University. Communication was his field and COMMUNICATE is what he did best. THE MAN: ROY flew a Blackhawk helicopter in Iraq and Afghanistan receiving the BRONZE MEDAL for risking his life rescuing troops stranded behind lines similar to the young helicopter pilot in the movie " We Were Soldiers". He flew his Blackhawk many trips carrying water and dumping it on wildfires in California; similar to what has just occurred again. He would sing as he flew over the wildfires " RING OF FIRE" By Johnny Cash. ROY rescued those who became stranded on snow-covered mountains. The Blackhawk rested so close to the mountain there was serious risk of hitting a propeller blade perpetuating a horrible death. ROY CRISWELL was a "fun" guy who knew how to deal with risks. He is survived by his son, Nicklaus Evan Criswell of Tacoma; mother Donna Criswell; and sisters Tommie Richardson, Kelly Green, Clarissa Hunt (deceased) and his twin Dana Roth who all live in Florida. He was a friend and hero to all who knew him. ROY could best be described as a person who believed in living one day at a time, enjoying every moment at a time and accepting happiness gratefully and hardships with dignity. William ROY Criswell is well loved by ALL who knew him. Funeral Services with military honors will take place at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at Barrancas National Cemetery/NAS Pensacola. Non-military will need to be prepared to show photo identification upon entering the Naval Base.

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