Roy Applegate

Funeral services for Roy Frederick Applegate, 83, of Spencer, will be conducted at 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Spencer. The Rev. Kevin Richter will officiate the service. Visitation will be one hour prior at the church. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, in Spencer. He passed away Friday, March 28, 2025, at Longhouse Nursing Home in Spencer surrounded by his wife of 55 years and his four children.

Roy, the son of Halbert and Gladys (Reak) Applegate, was born on July 19, 1941, in Springfield, Illinois. He grew up in Bisbee, Arizona, with his brother Carl and sister Kitty.

Roy joined the army after high school, serving for two years. Afterward, he returned to Arizona and worked for a cable TV company, which required him to travel around the U.S. On a work trip to Spencer, he met his future wife, Patricia Sullivan. He took her to the races at the Clay County Fair for their first date, and they never looked back. Roy and Pat were married on May 15, 1970, in Jackson, Minnesota. Over the next four years, they had three children — Julie, Jennifer and Jeffrey — and settled in Spencer to raise their family.

Roy spent much of his life in construction. He worked for Spencer Construction in the early 1980s, helping to renovate the Clay County Courthouse and building the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company tower. He was self-employed for many years, providing carpentry, construction and maintenance work for various local businesses.

In 1988, Roy joined the recovery community and remained active for 37 years. During that time, he was inspired to help others facing similar challenges. He enrolled at Buena Vista University, where he earned a B.A. in substance abuse counseling. After graduating, he worked as a counselor at Compass Pointe, helping those recovering from addiction.

Roy’s family was everything to him, and being a dad was his favorite job. He spent as much time with his kids as he could; playing catch in the backyard, coaching Little League, going fishing, teaching them to drive, and watching baseball or "The Dukes of Hazzard" together on the “boob tube.” He tucked them in at night and sang them silly songs.

Roy loved being outside, tending his garden, tinkering in the yard and walking around town. He was an avid reader, hungry to learn and expand his thinking. He cared deeply for all people. He was an advocate for the less fortunate, a defender of marginalized communities and a peace activist. He was passionate about his beliefs and often expressed them through writing. And he was funny. Roy had a sense of humor that got better and better the longer you knew him.

In 1991, as their nest was nearly empty, Roy and Pat were blessed with another child — Jill Elizabeth. At the age of 50, parenting looked a little different for Roy, but it was still the thing he treasured most. He took Jill on walks around town, she taught him the joy of the McDonald’s ball pit, they went on bike rides, watched Columbo and Alice in Wonderland together, and as she got older, they talked about politics and shared their world views.

Roy loved his family unconditionally. He gave his children unwavering support and was by their side through every trial. He taught them that walking your own path is OK and that if you don’t want to talk to someone, just pull a blanket over your head.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Sullivan) Applegate of Spencer; four children, Julie (Ryan) Wiese of Holstein; Jennifer (Chris) Lennon of Urbandale; Jeffrey Applegate of Spencer; and Jill Applegate of Des Moines; five grandchildren, Shelby, Maddie, Megan, Renae and Travis; his brother, Carl (Ellen) Applegate of Visalia, Californai; his sister, Kitty (Tom) Owen of Sierra Vista, Arizona; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Warner Funeral Home of Spencer is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be sent at www.warnerfuneralhome.com.