Roscoe Merle Heyman III, 76 years old, of Menard, Texas, passed peacefully from this earth to his heavenly home on November 13, 2025 at his ranch in Menard. He was born August 1, 1949, in Fredericksburg, Texas, the second child to the late Roscoe Merle Heyman Jr. and Ethel Louise Kothmann Heyman. Known to his family as RM, he spent his youth in Menard, TX, Odessa, TX, Blanding, Utah, and Cortez, CO He graduated from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 1967. During his school years he proved to be a good student and athlete. He remained friends with his classmates all his life. He continued his education with some college, studying engineering, until July of 1969, when he took to jumping from airplanes and going for long jungle hikes with Uncle Sam’s army. He had no regret over his time in the service, forming lifelong bonds with men he served with and other veterans. One of the best things that ever happened to him was being able to reunite with the men he served with in Vietnam through the 173rd Airborne organizations reunions.
After returning from Vietnam, he met and later married Donna Mae Short on August 2, 1974. He fell in love with a package deal-Donna and her young son, Tim, happily becoming a new Father as well as a husband. They were married for fifty-one years.
He loved the outdoors-hunting game, fishing, hiking, and hunting arrowheads. Roscoe and Donna took their children with them when they were young as much as they could so Tim and Bobbi grew up doing all these things with their parents. He could be “old German tough” on his kids but he wanted them to become sensible, responsible and hard-working adults-which they did. His three grandchildren gave him great joy, and he was so proud of them, their personalities, talents, and activities. He wanted the best for them and to enjoy work and the ranch as much as he did. Some of his favorite times were spent with his Uncle Nook cowboying and varmint hunting. Many of his conversations were about dogs, cats, cows, horses, and various other critters that were part of his home life. He was notorious for bringing home animals of one kind and another. He loved hot rod cars and car racing and kept his car racing schedule on his desk hoping to not miss any.
As much as Roscoe liked his leisure time, it was apparent that he loved his work. He was a hard and diligent worker, a natural leader willing to take charge, and liked to stay busy planning and building. He was often caught talking in his sleep about building things. Most of his work was with natural gas plants and processing stations. His whole married life he worked in the oil and gas industry. In the summer of 1987, he moved his wife and children to Menard, TX because he wanted them to be near family as he often worked away from home and even in other countries. He retired from Anadarko Petroleum but after a few years went back for Kahuna to build more plants. He finished his last job in 2024. Construction activities at the ranch included mostly building barns, rainwater tanks, pens, fences, and renovations to the house. His wife and friends called him ”Mr. Fix It.” He mostly wanted to do the work himself or oversee how it was done.
A Celebration of Life for Roscoe Merle Heyman, III will be held Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 11:00am at the RDT Ranch, 642 Kothmann Lane in Menard with Reverend Baldemar Gonzales officiating. The Patriot Guard will provide military honors. Interment of his cremated remains will follow in the Heyman Family Cemetery (in the pasture) on the family ranch. Friends may view and/or sign Roscoe’s online memorial guest book at www.leatherwoodmemorialchapels. com.
Roscoe is survived by his wife, Donna Mae Short Heyman; his son, Tim Heyman and wife Stephanie Heyman, of Carmine, TX; his daughter, Bobbi Heyman Compton and husband Judd Compton, of Menard, TX; three grandchildren, Madison Renetta Heyman, Riley Marlow Heyman and Danni Mae Ruiz; brother Elo A. Heyman and wife Kay Heyman; sister Sharon Heyman Key and husband Richard Key; Aunt Laverne Ligon, plus numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, sister, Patricia Heyman Cook, and several aunts and uncles. Memorial contributions in memory of Roscoe Merle Heyman, III may be made to Hospice of San Angelo, Inc, P. O. Box 471, San Angelo, Texas 76902.