Obituary of Roy W. Kyle

KYLE, Roy W. Born in Tucson on January 27, 1948 to his beloved parents, William C. Kyle and Bernice Goff Kyle. Roy died on September 20, 2018. He was with a number of his loved ones when he gently passed. Roy was raised in Tucson and graduated from Catalina High School, the University of Arizona and the University of Arizona College of Law. He loved Tucson and Southern Arizona, and he never left. He spent much of his early life working with his Uncle Joe Goff and cousin Charley on the Goff Ranch. The work was long and hard. Perhaps it was there that he learned two of his greatest virtues: never complain and always have a wicked sense of humor; they stayed with him throughout his life. Roy was a big, strong man who looked tough, but was truly the gentlest and kindest of men. That kindness and gentle concern for others was at the heart of our great friend. From his early days at public school to his college and law school years and on through his professional life, Roy made many friends who were friends for life. He thought he was the luckiest of men to have such great friends. His friends thought they were the luckiest. Such is true friendship. From the day he entered law school, Roy was quiet, reserved and rarely spoke; however, it soon became apparent that he had an exceptional mind. He excelled as a student, despite the fact that he worked his way through law school. The jobs he had were physical, often at night, and didn't pay too well. He never complained. His diligence and great sense of humor guided him. Upon graduation in 1973, Roy joined the Tucson firm of Robertson Molloy Fickett and Jones (later Molloy Jones and Donahue). He was there for 19 years. He was a partner at Brown and Bain (now Perkins Cole) from 1993-2002. He finished his career at Lewis and Roca and retired in 2017. Roy was an outstanding lawyer, but to find that out you had to ask others because he totally refused to even hint at his achievements. He was named among the Best Lawyers of America in 2012, 2016-2017 and was Lawyer of the Year in 2012 and 2015. He had a thriving practice in Banking Finance Law and Mergers and Acquisitions. His practice focus was on the development, negotiation and implementation of organizational, financial and transactional strategies for business. Importantly, Roy was recognized as one of the finest bond lawyers in Arizona. He was also responsible for the legal aspects of the successful "privatization" of the University of Arizona Medical Center and was its outside general counsel for 26 years. Among his professional affiliations were the American Health Lawyers Association, the Arizona Association of Health Care Lawyers, the Pima County Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Throughout his career, Roy made lifelong friends among his colleagues, among those who practiced on the other side of transactions and among his clients. He was always fair, and he was usually the smartest person in the room. Roy is survived by many loving family member and countless friends. His family members include his wife, Kathleen Kyle; his son, David Kyle; his stepchildren, Chandra Prough (Gregg) and Brandon Callister; his grandchildren, Anisa and Lucas Kersten and Ainsley and Tyler Prough; his sister, Ruth Misevch (Lee); his nephew, Michael Misevch (Gwen) and niece, Shelly Misevch; his beloved cousin, Charley Goff (Connie); Charley's children, Seldon Goff, Kaylee Orr and Emily Goff; and his daughter, Whitney Kersten (Eric). A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at the 3C Ranch, 36033 South Mount Lemmon Road, Oracle, Arizona. Directions can be found at www.3cranchaz.com. Donations in Roy's honor may be made to Tucson Conquistadors Foundation, 6450 E. Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85710 or to Habitat for Humanity, 3501 N. Mountain Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85710. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel.