Royce Kimble

He died as he lived, everyone’s friend.A beautiful life that came to an end, he died as he lived, everyone’s friend. In our hearts a memory will always be kept, of the one we loved, and will never forget. The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Royce (The Man, The Myth, The Legend) Kimble who entered eternal life on Monday, October 4th 2021 at his home in Ingalls, Indiana, was born in Indianapolis, on April 2nd 1951. The birth and death of this great man, however, is not nearly as relevant as all the days and nights that he lived to the fullest between those two dates. He lived a full and happy life, and we are honored to celebrate the dash between the day he entered this world and the day he left it. We encourage you to do the same. And think of him as living, in the hearts of those he touched. For nothing loved is ever lost – and he was loved so much. He was our North, our South, our East, our West. He will be greatly missed and remembered for all of his good deeds, the smiles he put on our faces, and the love he showed us. And you can’t lose when you’re remembered. So, he was right, he did win the battle. He took great pleasure in the simplest of things. He loved – and I do mean LOVED – his work. He had a passion for tinkering and fixing things, helping others even if he didn’t know what he was doing, although that was far and few between, after all The Man, The Myth, The Legend, knew all. He was the best dad you could ask for, a loving husband, a hard-working man, a trusted friend and brother, a proud papa, and a teacher, role model for many. No matter the situation, he always had some words of wisdom for you – typically started off with “A man is only as good as his word”. You could always count on him to be there for you, when you needed him. The strongest man – both physically and mentally. His battle began 10+ years ago, the first (yes first) time we thought best to prepare our goodbyes, when he was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and in need of a double lung transplant, a call we thought would never come. The man survived, provided with the gift of life for a second time. One father was given the gift of life by receiving another father’s, Timothy’s lungs. Royce and his family had the opportunity to meet Timothy’s family at a celebration of life in 2013 hosted by the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization. This gift of life is one in which marks the most significant time between the dash of when Royce entered this world and when he departed. The next 10 years is a testimony to the strength of this man. We’d sometimes joke “my gosh, what’s it going to take” sounds terrible, now in theory, but the things this man battled against, no one should survive. Yet this man, body riddled now with cancer still got up and worked 2nd shifts at Hancock Regional Health, couldn’t be bothered by anything less than that of what he loved to do, which was work as he had for 40+ years with HRH. Leaving us in aww, bewildered to say the least, family, specialists, caregivers, co-workers and friends. The Man, The Myth, The Legend. We often thought, how can one man endure so much? OH! but he wasn’t done. The biggest one was yet to come. Royce needed open heart surgery. A double bypass surgery that he likely would not survive. There was no choice to make, not for Royce. For he trusted in His Maker, and refused to live a life that was barely living. His mind was made up. As the family made arrangements and prepared for the worst. The worst in which was stated could very well be reality. If The Man, The Myth, The Legend, didn’t survive that surgery, which would have been expected due to the severity and risk, he would definitely be able to say he died trying. This was in May of this year. His recovery was rough, including two strokes. He was released and found right back in the hospital three days later. He went from not being able to walk or remember anything at all, to being almost completely back to normal in just a couple of weeks. Mid-June, he calls his son, and explains that he had a “rough night”. Come to find out he had yet another stroke… rough night? Yah, I’d say. However, being The Man, The Myth, The Legend, he couldn’t be bothered by this. He was still ready to get back home and get back to living. So, the story goes… he survived, he won that battle, but only to live on to the next. Fast forward, to what we call the final battle and others call the Myth. At times, it felt like maybe he had lost. That he had lost his long battle, but he knew better than that. If it were up to him, this obituary would read “Royce died while grabbing gears and crossing lines of oncoming traffic, while cruising in his beautiful ’69 El Camino”, now if you were to ask one of his son’s, he’d probably tell you as the co-pilot on that ride, it felt like it could be a likely story, but man did he love every second of it. In fact, one might say, that’s what he was holding out for. But I am sure you could say a lot on behalf of The Man, The Myth, The Legend. No one would have guessed he would have survived years with a terminal cancer diagnosis in his mid-sixties, only after surviving Pulmonary Fibrosis and a double lung transplant, and celebrated 70 years on this earth with those he loved and whom loved him back, so dearly. And while he no longer with us, I believe he did win his battle, because he never once allowed the mere obstacles to destroy the spirit of who he was. In his final days while he rested in his home, surrounded by loved ones, occasionally asking for a foot-long sub or a double cheeseburger, he still was just “resting, to get back at it”. He couldn’t bear the attention and wouldn’t dare let you worry about him. Instead, he spent his days checking in on us. Putting us at ease. Our needs, our emotions, our accomplishments, our worries – all of it – was before those of his own. He was so concerned about those around him, that every ounce of energy remaining in his body, was devoted to those he loved. He even was able to hold on to allow his friends and family to coordinate and execute a cruise by his residence to bring him great joy, as he loved those old cars as if they were his own. If Royce could share one thing in his final moments it would be to stop making a fuss over him but also, I believe it would have gone a little something like this, of course in addition to the reminder of “A man is only as good as his word”: “I was given the gift of life, not once, but twice, and now I have to give it back. This is hard. But I was a lucky man, who led a lucky existence, and for that I am grateful.” And what rings just as true “Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me.”He very much looked forward to the day that he’d be able to get back to it, to get back to work, tinkering and fixing things – and I think it’s safe to say that’s what he is doing at this very moment, but with an old friend, a best friend in fact, and father-in-law, John “Ron” Cassidy, that’s already telling him how he would do it better I am sure of that. Left behind to carry Royce’s legacy: his beloved wife of 42 years, Kelly Cassidy Kimble, his six children: Royce (Teri) Kimble, Michelle Shannan Blethen, Ilishia Kimble, Garry (Jennifer) Kimble, Jason (Kameron) Kimble, Matt (Jessica) Kimble, 17 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren. Leaves behind five siblings: Ginger, Darwin, Leanne, Mitch and Dion, countless nieces and nephews and an extended family of relations and friends from every walk of life, including friends and strangers he would have loved to of met. Proceeded in death, Royce is reunited with his parents, beloved sister Dawn Ranae Rozycki and infant brother Hal as well as his best friend and father-in-law, John “Ron” Cassidy along with countless friends and family that have gone before him. In honor of Royce’s life and a tribute to his donor, Timothy, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, Please visit the Indiana Donor Network to make a donation: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=iopo&id=1The family will come together at Mendon Cemetery for a gravesite burial of Royce Kimble – The Man, The Myth, the Legend. At a future date they will honor him the best way they know. Over food and spirits with family and close friends sharing the life of our Legend, the only way he would have approved: a celebration of life, love and laughter. Farewell I hope your days are so very kindAnd your stars bring love to you.May all your wishes have realityAnd your skies are always blue.Your days will be so manyFor life is so very long. But as I go shed no tearsAnd sing no good-bye song.Time to open those golden gatesAnd walk those timeless stairs.Let me hold all your sorrowsAnd give me all your fears. Make me no heroNor a page in a history book. Build me no statues of gloryFor all the future to look. Farewell my friends, My time has ended, you know. Be good, but be happyWith peace and love as I go. – Boyd B. Woodhams