Roy Wakefield is inducted into the Car Wash Hall of Fame at The Car Wash Show 2018.
L-R: Haji Tehrani, Ron Peterson, Glenn Wakefield, Roy Wakefield, Eric Wulf
Roy Lee Wakefield passed away on Wednesday, July 15, surrounded by family.
Roy was born in Eufaula, Oklahoma and graduated from Childress High School in 1957 in Arkansas. He attended the University of Tennessee in Memphis, where he met his wife, Patricia Atkins. Roy and Patricia married June 25, 1960.
Roy and Patricia eventually moved to Houston, TX to work for Mr. Pride Car Wash, owned by United Inns Incorporated, where he worked his way up to oversee operations in the Houston, Memphis, and Atlanta markets. He later partnered with Nelson Rusche in the mid-70s to become the Operating Partner of Mister Car Wash in Houston, TX. Together they expanded to over 15 car washes in and around the Houston area before the company sold in 1997. Roy also served on the board of Waterway Car Wash based out of St. Louis, Missouri.
He received several distinguished service awards through ICA, and was inducted into the International Carwash Hall of Fame in 2018. After his retirement from the car wash industry, he became co-owner and chairman of Largo International, Inc., a wholesale furniture importer, with his son Glenn, until his retirement in 2018.
Roy enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time on his ranch with family and friends. He is survived by his wife Patricia; daughter Melissa Loffredo; and son and daughter-in-law, Glenn and Brandi Wakefield, as well as his grandchildren, Ashley Haenelt, Chris Loffredo, and Cole, Kyle, and Brett Wakefield; and his brothers and sisters, Ethlene Brewer, Cecil Reed, Frank Wakefield, and Virginia Arnett.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Basset Buddies Rescue of Texas (www.bbrtx.org) and/or Ridgeback Rescue of the U.S. (www.rrus.org). To send memories and condolences to the family, sign the online guestbook at legacy.com.