Fountain Hills is paying its final homage to another community icon with the passing of Roy Kinsey on Dec. 16. Roy was a chemist by profession but he was a man with a heart as big as the outdoors that he loved and a smile that could rival the sunshine over his head.
Roy and his wife, Bev, came to Fountain Hills in 1984 after he retired. He made the McDowell Mountains his passion. After incorporation, Roy was at the head of the line of those seeing a need to preserve the McDowell’s Sonoran Desert habitat for generations to come.
He became Fountain Hills’ own “mountain man.” As the town acquired land in the McDowells to establish a preserve, Roy assembled a team of volunteer “trailblazers” who spent many hours with shovels and rakes scratching hiking trails in the hills, and he made sure they met standards for safety and accessibility.
Roy was 80 years old by this time but continued his efforts for the preserve. He led the town’s McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission for years and spearheaded the planning for the trailhead at Adero Canyon that just recently opened. Roy was a man who never showed anger, but his frustration was visible with delays in the effort to get the trail built
As Roy approached his mid-90s he could still be seen working on the trails until he and Bev decided to retire for good near family in California. He could not make it back for the trailhead dedication in November but relayed a statement calling it a dream come true. “So many to congratulate – those who had the vision to save the town’s view, the trail builders for their many hours of hard work, and those wise enough to acquire the necessary money to get the job done! Thank you all.”
No – thank you, Roy. The Preserve is your legacy to Fountain Hills and we can only hope to be worthy of it.
