Roy H. Starke

Roy Starke, 78, devoted husband, father, "Poppy", brother and friend passed away peacefully on December 4, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family.

Born December 9, 1946, to Robert and Harriet Starke, he grew up with strong family values that shaped the caring and hardworking man he became. Roy grew up in Kings Park with his brothers Jim (Joan), George (Margaret) and sister Jane, and graduated in 1965. As a young boy, he found his love for baseball and the New York Yankees. Roy joined Local 25 IBEW electricians' union, where working on a job in Sears in Bay Shore, he met the love of his life Sandra. They married in 1967 and he continued working until retiring in 2008.

Roy joined the U.S. Army in 1971 where he earned the National Defense Service Medal and Sharpshooter M16. He was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. When he and Sandra came home, they started their life in Kings Park. Together they had two children, Kevin (Lauren), and Karen (Chad).

In 1975, Roy joined the Kings Park Fire Department where he was a dedicated 50-year active member. He served as department Chief from 1987 to 1995 and was elected as President in 2010 and served until 2014. As an active member, Roy was a mentor to probationary members and developed meaningful and lasting friendships with all who met him. He always had a listening ear, offering advice to anyone who needed it.

Roy dedicated his life to helping others whenever possible. He was an asset to the Kings Park community and was the backbone to many local organizations, including the Kings Park St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the K.P. Chamber of Commerce, where he earned their Man of the Year award in 2024. In 2007, Roy earned his CDL license and became a substitute school bus driver for KP school district. There he had the opportunity to transport so many students to their sporting events and was often found sitting in the stands cheering them on. His favorite teams to watch were the Varsity Football and Basketball teams, as well as taking students with special needs bowling.

In addition to volunteering, Roy had a passion for golf where he would golf multiple times a week. He was a member of the Smithtown Landing Golf club and was golfing until October of this year.

Roy's biggest accomplishment was by far becoming a grandfather. He would move mountains for all four of his grandchildren. Bradley, Tyler, Dylan and Madilynn loved to spend time with their Poppy. He would often take them to the fire house, where he would teach them about the trucks, take the boys fishing, golfing and would get on the floor to play with Madi. They were the most important people in his world.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the oncology staff at Huntington Hospital for taking such good care of Roy over the past month. Everyone was so accommodating and went above and beyond.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in honor of Roy.

Roy's absence will be felt in so many ways and he will be deeply missed by all. GO YANKEES!