Eulogy – Inspector acting Terry Royer
Terry Royer, very fondly called Terry J, was born of parents Theresa Gustave-Royer and Faustien Fabien Royer of Thibaud, at the Portsmouth Hospital, on May 4th, 1975. He is the second of three children and the only son of his parents. His sisters are Frances and Floress Royer.
Terry was married to his wife, Yvonne Nickicia Royer, on August 30th, 2008. They were blessed with two boys Terry Justin (TJ) and Taye, ages 24 and 18, respectively. During the early stages of his life, Terry displayed and showed interest in various professions. These included being a Pastor – when he would use a banana as a microphone and preach into it. He was very curious and would never just look at a vehicle he had never seen before without lying down underneath like a mechanic. He loved singing. He would spend a long time in the shower doing so and putting his own words to the song.
Then came the thought of being a Police Officer. He would often say “Mammy I want to be a Police,” “I have to be a Police,” and “If you had listened to your father, I would be a Gendarmerie or a soldier in the French army.” His mother ignored these because Terry was so soft-spoken and quiet. Her thoughts were that this precious child had never even been to the garden, how could he be police?
Terry attended the Thibaud and Vieille Case Primary Schools and then the Portsmouth Secondary School referred to as PSS. He never skipped a class. It was during this period at PSS that he decided to make it a reality to become a Police Officer and not just a thought. He began saying “Mammy I do not want to put you all under any expenses, so as soon as I leave school, I am going to be police.” To instill fear in him and to deter him his mom cautioned him, maybe erroneously, that during training, Policemen had to climb barbed wire fences and their knees would be bruised and bleeding. His response would be “Mammy I tell you; I want to be the police.”
Soon after he left PSS, Terry applied to become a police officer. The recruitment team met in the village and of course “Terry was the best boy, the best young man, an example, the best applicant” and he was accepted. On September 20, 1994, he was enlisted in the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force. He would have joined others on Course 21’. He was 19 years old. During training, he received the award for “Best at Practical”. This was just the beginning of an amazing and exemplary career in law enforcement. Terry would have worked at various police stations and was promoted to the rank of Corporal on June 24, 2011, and then to Sergeant on June 20, 2017. Royer acted on several occasions in the office of Inspector. Terry was very passionate about investigations and prosecutions and that was evident through his career.
Terry was a well-rounded police officer and was commended on several occasions for his zeal, enthusiasm, and devotion to duty. He attended several training courses locally, internationally, and regionally including the Command and Staff, Bronze Leadership, CARIB DE47 Trail Blazers, and other Credit Union-related courses.
In his personal life, Terry was a loving husband, father, son, brother and son-in-law. Community involvement helped Terry become the person he was. He was very disciplined, obedient, respectful, courteous, cautious, neat, well-read, and good at taking and writing minutes and writing reports. He was very detail-oriented, whether it pertained to work or family events. An all arounder. To those who do not know, Terry was not only good at preparing BBQ or Hot Wings and Banan Pézé. He was an overall excellent cook.
Good at preparing Lasagna, Mac & Cheese, Potato Salad, Stew Pork, and Tasty broth with fish, chicken wings, and smoked meat, just to name a few. Just tell him and he will google it and get it done. Terry was a counselor, and a problem solver, believed in giving people a second chance, soft-spoken but firm. An administrator, willing to share knowledge and expertise, an excellent driver, a gentle soul, quick to seek forgiveness and to forgive others. Terry was once transferred for giving what one might call an ‘Unsavory Character’ a ride on a police vehicle. However, his reason for doing so, was to speak to and counsel that gentleman into making better choices. He was a friend to all rich, poor, young, old, good or bad. Terry was hardworking and loved his job. He went above and beyond the call of duty. He took his job very seriously and respected the code of Confidentiality.
Nothing was shared or discussed with the family. That was also applied to his private life. Nothing shared in confidence was ever divulged. He did a bit of farming and whatever he produced would be used to serve his family and share with others. Terry served as Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Vieille Case Credit Union and the Supervisory and Compliance Committee of the NCCU.
TERRY WILL BE SURELY MISSED BY ALL OF US: FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND ACQUAINTANCES. HE’S GONE BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. TERRY MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE. WE LOVE YOU!!