Dick B. Royes

Dick B Royes passed away Wednesday, April 26th at his home in Imbler, Oregon.   He was with loved ones when he succumbed to the effects of cancer after being diagnosed only 2 months prior.  He chose not to treat the disease, and focused his last few weeks on playing music, having conversations with friends, and playing bridge.

Arrangements will be announced later by Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center of La Grande.

Dick was born June 1, 1945 in La Grande, Oregon to George and Elizabeth (Huron) Royes.   He grew up on the family farm in Summerville.   He attended Imbler schools, and played baseball and basketball, graduating from high school in 1963.

Dick started his long and storied college career at the University of Oregon.   He also studied at Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington through the 60’s and 70’s.  He graduated from EWU in 1975 with a degree in Communications.    He then moved to Hawaii and obtained a Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii.  Along the way he dropped in and out of school to take side jobs, play in bands, perform in theater groups and tour Asia with a USO group entertaining American troops.

Dick started teaching in Hawaii, and in the late 80’s he returned to Eastern Oregon and taught at several high schools and also at Blue Mountain Community College.   He coached both boys and girls high school basketball at several schools in Eastern Oregon. In 2001 he was the head coach for the Cove Girls team when they won the OSAA 1a State Championship.   Dick was named 1a Girls Coach of the Year in 2001.

In 1999, he married and lived with Nanda Marcolla and her son Pedro Abdala. Together the couple had Tiffany Brooke Royes before separation and divorce a few years later.

When Dick retired from coaching, he began calling basketball games for KWVR, traveling around Eastern Oregon to do the away games of the Wallowa Valley teams.   Eventually he also did football, baseball, and softball games, calling these games as “Richard Royes.”   He loved high school sports, and had a wide network of coaching friends who he shared strategies and coaching techniques with.

Dick loved playing guitar, listening to live music, acting, directing live theater, sailing, playing duplicate bridge, painting, and tending the many roses at his home in Imbler while hearing the frogs sing.   He was known to adopt dogs from the shelter, usually getting a “Mutt”, and to take in cats that showed up at his door.

He is survived by his daughter Tiffany Brooke Royes, and his brother George Royes Jr.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Jacqueline Bonner

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to any local high school girls basketball team.

Condolences may be left at www.danielsknopp.com