Roy David Marrs

Roy David Marrs, 87, of Roebuck, SC passed away on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. He was born in Charleston, WV on December 12, 1936 to the late Roy Clarence Marrs and Helen Byers Marrs. 

During college, Roy got a job with Boeing in Wichita, KS and began his career in aerospace engineering. He transferred to the Boeing Space Program in New Orleans, LA in the early 1960s and was then assigned to the Mississippi Test Facility in Bay St. Louis, MS to work on the Apollo V Statis Fire Test Stand. After 10 years of lab work, Roy was assigned to the Space Shuttle bidding team, developing quotes for NASA proposals. He then went back to New Orleans to be a test engineer with Martin Marietta, where over the next 17 years he worked his way up to Section Chief.

In 1988, Roy was offered a position with Morton Thiokol in Ogden, UT as part of their new Materials and Processes Engineering Group. Thiokol relocated him to Iuka, MS as Laboratory manager in 1996, and a year later Roy decided to take an early retirement. He and his family moved to Mary Esther, FL, where his first wife, Deborah Smith Marrs, passed away. In 2004, Roy met his current wife, Betty Jo Smutzer Marrs. 

Roy is survived by his wife of 19 years, Betty Jo Marrs; daughters, Kathryn Conti (Edward), Abigail Marrs, and Jennifer Heglar (Derrick); stepsons, Chris Smutzer (Tammy) and Harry Smutzer (Cecelia); grandchildren, Jesse Smutzer, Jordan Smutzer, Darren Smutzer, Eric Smutzer, Austin Smutzer, Dylan Heglar, and Hayden Heglar; and sister, Rebecca Mackey. Along with his parents and first wife, he was predeceased by a sister, Suzanne Gabster.

Visitation will be 10:30-11:15am on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at Roebuck Baptist Church. Memorial services will follow at 11:30am conducted by Rev. Chuck Miller and Dr. Tim Williams.

In honor of Roy, memorial contributions may be made to Roebuck Baptist Church or Agape Hospice.