LeRoy Hickmott Obituary

LeRoy "Roy" Ralph Hickmott, 87, of Decatur passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The family will receive guests from 5:30 p.m. until the time of a celebration of life service at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Newell Chapel, 83313 M-51, Decatur. Interment will be held privately. Memorial contributions may be given to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org. Online condolences can be given at www.newellchapel.com.

Roy was born on April 26, 1938, at the family home in Watervliet, to Ivan and Edith (Hiler) Hickmott. After graduating from high school, Roy and three friends left to find adventures in Alaska. To help fund his adventures of hunting and fishing, he took a job laying the railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Roy and friend, Gary Lewis, stayed for more than three years. His time in Alaska provided him with many lasting memories which he enjoyed sharing with others. When it came time to return to Michigan, the two resorted to hitchhiking home.

Roy was drafted into the U.S. Army, during the Vietnam War where he served as a military policeman.

Following his military service, Roy spent several years working on the family farm. Then took a job with Citgo Petroleum, which transferred to Standard Oil. In 1972, he moved to Decatur and started Hickmott Oil selling Standard Oil (Amoco) products, which he ran until retiring in the early 2000s.

Although Roy loved to work, he embraced retirement to the fullest. He could often be found fishing or hunting, but nothing brought him more joy than spending time with his family.

Roy will be missed by his sons: Scott (Tami) Hickmott, and Eric (Raschell) Hickmott; his grandchildren: Michael Hickmott, Jessica (John) Davis, Samantha Hickmott, Adam Hickmott, Leif Eggert, Jennifer (Zach) Harlin, Samantha Forcier and Terry (Katie) Brown; and his great-grandchildren, Preston, Austin, McKynlee, Rodney, Shayna, George and Theo.

He is preceded in death by his siblings: Richard, Daniel, Gloria, Ivan, Dee and Max; his ex-wife, Sharon (Zook) Hickmott and his parents.