Roy Blackwood Phd

Roy Blackwood was born February 7, 1925 on a farm in Norwich, Ohio to Roy Samuel and Lena Shipe Blackwood. He was the youngest of five children, all of whom have preceded him in death.  He joined the US Navy, where he trained to be a pilot, and was appointed navigator aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Petrof Bay, seeing active duty during the latter part of World War II in the South Pacific. Roy attended Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA where he graduated in 1948 with a degree in chemistry. Later that same year he enrolled in the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh and married Margaret (Margie) Graham.  Roy was installed and ordained as pastor in the Bloomington, IN Reformed Presbyterian Church.  He pursued further study at New College, Edinburgh University, Scotland, and in 1963 he gained a PhD in church history.

For over 70 years, Roy was influential and active in many areas of Christian ministry.  After he and his family returned to Indianapolis, IN in 1963, God used him to help start several churches in Indiana beginning with the 2nd Reformed Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, where he preached powerfully from the Word of God for 45 years.  He spent time discipling people.  He was a conference speaker, and as a historian, he taught classes on Church history at seminary level.  He had a heart for mission work, and travelled around the world teaching and meeting with Christians.  He ministered to students, businessmen, and political leaders, regularly going to the Indiana State House to pray with officials.  He was involved or associated with several national Christian organizations, some at the board level, and was highly involved with his own denomination’s committees.

Roy was aided in all this by his loving wife of 63 years, Margie, who provided a supporting hand and gentle counsel over the years.  Together they made a dynamic team.  Roy stepped down from this high level of activity when Margie began to need more support and he resigned, not retired, from the pastorate in 2008, aged 83.  She was called home to be with her beloved Lord Jesus in 2011, and shortly after his 94th birthday, Roy stepped into heaven on the Lord’s Day, February 24, 2019, at the same time of the morning when he normally would have been stepping into the pulpit.

Roy is survived by his three children, William (Lynda) Blackwood, Elizabeth (Robert) Brodie, and Robert (Toni) Blackwood.  He is also survived by his grandchildren, Hannah (Jonathan) Woods, Peter Blackwood (Lorraine Brown), Thomas Blackwood, Kathryn Blackwood (Cody Turner), Graham (Allison) Blackwood, and great grandchildren Evangeline and Thorbern Woods, Eli Turner, and Mila and Nadia Blackwood.  He is also survived by his sister-in-law Betty Jo Blackwood, and nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at Second Reformed Presbyterian Church, 4800 North Michigan Road, Friday, March 29, 2019 at 11:00am.

Friends may call on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at the same location from 3:00pm until 8:00pm.

The burial service will be in the New Concord Cemetery, Friendship Drive, New Concord, OH on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 11:00am, followed by a remembrance reception at the New Concord United Methodist Church, 20 E. High Street, New Concord, OH.

Contributions may be made to Second Reformed Presbyterian Church.