Andrea Lynn Roy of Huntington, WV passed away Thursday June 10, 2021 at the Hospice House of Huntington. A beloved wife, daughter, and aunt, she is survived by her husband, Kevin Nieto, her mother Brigitte Roy, brother PC Roy, sister-in-law Mary Beth Roy, and her niece Hannah Roy and nephew Hunter Roy. Born on January 22, 1973, Andrea grew up in Barboursville, WV. After college, she lived in New York City for twenty years before returning to Barboursville in 2014 to be with her family after her father, Philip Roy, became ill. It was then she met her husband, the love of her life, who had come to the area under similar circumstances.
Though her formal education was in music, which was her first true love, she found her calling in social work and community advocacy. In New York she worked for Fountain House, a community resource organization, where she was the communications director and a beloved staff member who treated all members of the Fountain House community with dignity and the utmost respect. She used her insight and eloquence to articulate their mission and collective goals.
After moving back to the Huntington area in 2014, Andrea served as the first Director of Community Impact with the United Way of the River Cities. In this new position Andrea used her natural leadership to implement collaborative measures and substantive, long-lasting improvements to the community she loved. Andrea understood that in order to ensure that those improvements endured, both innovation and accountability were necessary.
Those same imperatives led to her appointment as Project Coordinator for the WV Time 4K Project – Trauma Informed Mindfulness Engagement through Marshall University’s School of Social Work. Her project provides mindfulness training and support to students and families affected by the opioid crisis in Wayne and Cabell County elementary schools. For Andrea this was a dream job: a long-time yoga practitioner, she believed in the cultivation of a healthy spirit and the synchronization of novel neurological science and practical, usable interventions that could help children and families overcome the devastating effects of trauma and substance abuse. She truly loved this project and her co-workers.
Many who encountered Andrea admired her intellect and elegance, but above all else, it was her kindness and grace that stood out. Andrea’s generosity of spirit and her kindness had no limitations, she gave without reservation or judgment, and she was most gracious with her time and the attention she paid to anyone who crossed her path. Upon her passing her niece remarked that her kindness was both a challenge and an invitation, and that through her grace, she enabled us all to meet that challenge. Andrea provided those she loved with both unconditional positive regard and accountability, and in doing so, she made everyone she met a better person, just as she did the community she loved so dearly.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Wallace Funeral Home at 1159 Central Ave, Barboursville, WV 25504 – visitation will be on Saturday June 19th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, followed by a short service at 6:00 pm.
Her dear friend and one of her favorite Yoga teachers, Ashley Skeen, will lead a Yoga class in Andrea’s honor on Saturday June 19th at 10:30 am at the Space on 8th – 919 8th Street Huntington, WV 25701. Payment for the class will be a donation to the organizations listed below. Ashley Skeen can be reached at 970.274.2400 for further information.
Andrea had a life-long passion for helping animals, advocating for their well-being and rescuing and fostering many beloved pets. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Andrea’s name to either The Western West Virginia Animal Rescue Alliance (WWVARA) the 501c3 for the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter or to One by One Animal Advocates, also a 501c3. Donations for both WWVARA and One By One can be mailed to 216 11th Ave West Huntington WV 25701 or made via PayPal to wwvara@gmail.com or onebyoneaa@gmail.com Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.
