Roy Alden Schanbacher passed away unexpectedly at his home near Liberty on September 26, 2023, with his wife, Kay, son, Nathan, and sister, Linda, at his side. He was 70 years old. Roy was the son of the late Gordon A. and Dorothy (Castle) Schanbacher. He was the 6th generation of the Schanbacher family to raise cattle and crops on the family farm located between Liberty and Ogdensburg.  With the help of his son, Nathan, he has been successfully building a high-quality Black Angus and Speckled Park beef cattle herd since retiring from the dairy business. Roy was also known for raising high quality hay and had many loyal Amish customers in the Loganton and Rebersburg areas.

Roy and Kay celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary on August 20th, 2023. They were sweethearts practically from birth. Both were born at the Williamsport Hospital in April 1953, Roy on the 3rd and Kay on the 8th. They were in adjoining nurseries and their mothers who were from the Liberty area, recovered from childbirth in the same maternity ward. They went on to attend Liberty Elementary and Liberty High School, graduating together in the class of 1971. When they were in the 2nd grade, Roy came home from school one day declaring that he was going to marry Kay when he grew up. And he did. They were married on August 20th, 1972, and continued their education at Pennsylvania State University. Roy graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and Kay as a registered nurse. After graduation they moved to the family farm and raised their two children, Carly and Nathan, on the Tioga County farm.

Roy was an extraordinarily generous and caring member of his East Point community. Even though he was busy with his own farm work, Roy would drop everything to help others. He would be one of the first to show up to help his neighbors and family members in a crisis. He knew what needed to be done without being asked.  He and Kay have passed that caring quality on to their kids and grandkids.

Roy could fix almost anything. If something in the house or on the farm broke down, he would quietly go to his shop, dig through his stash, and could usually come up with just the right piece to fix the problem. If he didn't have the right part, he could usually make something that worked. He was a genius with farm machinery too. Through his diligent maintenance and patient repairs, he could keep his farm machinery and tractors working long past their life expectancy. He enjoyed going to a good farm auction and often came home with used farm equipment that looked hopeless to anyone else. In a few days he would have it up and running and ready to go. He was a truly amazing mechanic.

Roy loved relaxing and playing games with his family.  He enjoyed jumping in the pool with the kids, fishing in the pond, starting a fire to roast hot dogs and s'mores, riding downhill on a snowy day, and taking canoe float trips down Pine Creek with his cousins. In his younger years he and his son, Nathan, enjoyed team bowling at Canton Lanes. Most of all he loved when the kids and grandkids came home for holidays, birthdays, picnics, and any excuse for a celebration.

Roy was a member of the Liberty FFA and East Point 4H through high school, and the Southern Tioga FFA Alumni and Chapter Supporter since graduation. He was a lifelong member of East Point Ebenezer Church and the East Point Fish and Game Club.

Roy is survived by his wife, Kay (Huffman) Schanbacher, their daughter, Carly (Jared) Frank, of Watsontown, their son Nathan (Megan Hemling) Schanbacher of East Point and his sister, Linda (Stan) Keim. Roy and Kay have three grandchildren, Quentin and Lydia Frank, and Tessa Mae Schanbacher.

Roy's life will be celebrated at East Point Ebenezer Church on Saturday, September 30th. Visitation will be from 11 am to 1 pm with the service at 1 pm. Interment will follow at the East Point Cemetery on Harer Road. Funeral details will be handled by Pepper Funeral Homes and Crematorium of Canton, PA. www.pepperfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the East Point Ebenezer Church. Send C/O treasurer, Sheila Guillaume, PO Box 4 Liberty, PA 16930