Roy Allen Gittings

Roy Allen Gittings, 72, of Morehead City, passed away Sunday, January 24, 2016 at home surrounded by his family.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday,January 27, 2016 at 11:00 am, with a visitation one hour prior at Munden Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Jack Mumford officiating. Inurnment will follow at Coastal Carolina Veteran State Cemetery with Military Honors.

Roy Allen Gittings was born April 14, 1943 in San Antonio, Texas. He was preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie Jane Gittings, and his father, William Bruce Gittings. He was raised in Brownsville, Texas and Sunnyvale, California.

Roy joined the Marine Corps at age 18 and enjoyed active duty in the corps for the next 22 years, retiring at Cherry Point in 1984. His service included a tour of duty in Vietnam, 4 additional years in the Far East, and (oh yea 4 years hardship duty) in Hawaii. Other duty stations include MCAS Barstow, California; Ft. McClellan, Alabama; Camp Pendleton, California; and finally MCAS Cherry Point.

After retirement Roy continued his love of SCUBA diving by teaching diving here along the Crystal Coast. After breathing pure, dried, filtered, compressed air for 10 years it was time to look for a real job.

Roy landed a job at Carteret County as the Environmental Enforcement Officer which later evolved into a Deputy Sheriff position. He retired from the county in 2007, but continued to serve as a Civil Deputy and he filled in at the Veteran Services Office for a year. He was forced to put down his spurs, scuba tanks, guns, and other assorted toys in May, 2014, due to medical complications with cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Ann Lilly; son, Andrew Roy Gittings and wife Christina; and his grandson, Tucker Roy Gittings.

The family asks to please consider making a contribution to the Cancer Center, PO Box 1619, Morehead City, NC 28557, in honor of all surviving and passed cancer patients.