L.M. (Roy) Strickland Jr.

1928 - 2018

L.M. (Roy) Strickland, Jr.

Tallahassee - On May 21, 2018 L. M. (Roy) Strickland, Jr. joined his beloved wife Marie Nordling Strickland in his Lord and Savior's arms after a lengthy illness. Roy was born in Dothan, Alabama in 1928, the son of Leroy M. Strickland and Myrtle Riley Strickland. He and his mother Myrtle delighted in celebrating their joint birthday on October 19th each year until her death.

In 1930, at the age of 2, Roy moved with his parents and younger brother, Don to Tallahassee where his father, L. M. Strickland, Sr. and uncle, Pitt Riley established a shoe store in Tallahassee. Despite being the depression Strickland's Shoe Store became a success and a landmark of downtown Tallahassee for many years. As a boy, Roy showed early signs of his father's entrepreneurial spirit selling the Tallahassee Democrat, and boiled peanuts on the streets of Tallahassee. At the age of twelve he was rewarded with a regular paper route and he also joined the First Baptist Church.

Having watched Tallahassee evolve from dirt roads into a modern yet stately capital, Roy has always been fascinated with the city's history. He loved to tell and write stories about the history of Tallahassee and its people.

http://patronis.net/don/RSmem/index.html. Several of his articles remembering Tallahassee's past were published in the newspaper he started his work life with.

Roy attended Grammar School at the old Demonstration School at FSCW, graduated from Leon High School in 1946 and from Florida State University in 1949 as a member of the school's first Co-ed class. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951 serving in Germany until his honorable discharge in 1953. Upon his return to Tallahassee, he joined the family business officially and was instrumental in expanding the Strickland's shoe business to become one of the first independent businesses to venture from downtown into the outlying shopping centers. Eventually Mr. Strickland added the Capital Plaza Shopping Center, the Parkway Shopping Center, and the Northwood Mall to their downtown location on east College Avenue before the business was sold in 1972.

Roy was active in the Elks, serving as a Past Exalted Ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #937 and as the Elks State Americanism Chairman for two terms. He was also active in the community he loved as a past Chairman of the Leon County Republican Executive Committee, and as a past Chairman of the Merchants Divisions of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. In his retirement he was a supporter of Birdsong Nature Center, the nature conservancy and Wounded Warriors Project.

Roy is survived by daughter Sherry Carvalho(Tony) Tallahassee, FL, Mark Strickland(Sharon) Suwanee, GA, Mike Strickland(Debbie) Greenville, SC, Matt Strickland(Renee') Tallahassee, FL, 11 Grand-Children, (Dean, Emily and Anna Carvalho, Chris, Kristina, Scott, Carl, Rachael and Adam Strickland, Sarah and John Lipsey), 3 Great Grand-Children and 1 Great Great Grand Child. Roy was predeceased by his parents and by his brother Don Strickland, and earlier this year by his cherished wife Marie and by Virginia Bennett Strickland, the mother of his four children.

Funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 26th at 11:00 a.m. at Culley's Meadowood Funeral Home, 1737 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308.

In lieu of flowers please contribute to: Birdsong Nature Center, 2106 Meridian Road, Thomasville, GA 31792.