Roy Hudson Carwile
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Roy Hudson Carwile passed away on September 24, 2021, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA, after waging a ferocious and heroic battle against cancer.
Roy was born on January 16, 1946 in Monmouth, IL, the son of Ralph Hudson Carwile and Ruth (Hamilton) Carwile. He grew up working with his father and uncle at the Carwile Paint Store on the square in Monmouth.
Roy graduated from Monmouth High School and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Ohio State University. He was the consummate scientist and had a long career working for ALCOA in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Sao Paolo, Brazil. Roy started as a field geologist looking for copper and later joined ALCOA's burgeoning environmental team. By his career's end, he was managing air quality worldwide.
Roy loved being out in the woods, on the water, up in the sky, and on the prairie. He knew the names of all the constellations, trees, plants and birds. Roy had a gift for languages and was fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. During his international travels, he would teach himself to say "I do not understand a single word I'm saying" in the language of each country, and then would fearlessly engage in conversation.
Roy was a gifted musician, a private pilot, an avid fisherman and tennis player, and a bridge player whose intuitive bidding would sometimes horrify his partners! He was deeply involved in community life in Monterey, serving as a member of the Monterey Fire Company and Board of Health.
Roy is survived by his wife, Mary Gail Biebel, and his beloved children James Hudson Carwile (Adrienne), Heather McLean Brandon (River), Erin Sunshine McKain (Kurt), and Kathleen Melissa Biebel (Michael). He leaves behind ten grandchildren, his sister Robin Wagner (Eric), and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister Rita Bergren (Vern).
SERVICES - Per Roy's wishes, no funeral services will be held. He will be laid to rest in Sugar Tree Grove Cemetery, Monmouth, IL, back home on his beloved prairie. Please think of Roy when you look up at the stars in the clear night sky.
The family thanks the staff at Berkshire Medical Center, especially the nurses in the Oncology and Critical Care units, for their compassionate and tender care.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Monterey Fire Company in care of the Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to the family go to www.finnertyandstevens.com