Cop was 'phenomenal,' say friends
Folks can honor the memory of the late Roy Wells at his life celebration Aug. 3
By Sean Patrick Murphy; Staff Writer

One of Roy Wells' last requests was that people celebrate his life, not mourn his death.On Sunday, Aug. 3 there will be a life celebration from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Maple Shade 25 Club, at 60 E. Rudderow Ave.

"Roy wanted a party," Wells' brother, Rob, said.

Rob said Wells' family is grateful for all of the people who pitched in and helped raise money to make his house handicapped accessible and to help pay bills.

Wells was diagnosed about five years ago with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It is a terminal illness for which there is no known cure.

Wells, 41, leaves behind his wife Stephanie and three children, aged 21, 17 and 16.

"Roy was a phenomenal human being," Rob said. "He was an incredible husband, an awesome father."

Wells coached soccer, was a D.A.R.E. officer and was part of an E.M.T. squad.

"Roy really signified what it was to be a civil servant and a good human being," Rob said.

Wells and Stephanie were married for 20 years.

His father and uncle were police officers in Maple Shade for about 30 years.

"It's kind of a family business," Rob said.

Wells died July 22 with his wife by his side. Rob said the family got to say goodbye before Wells died.

Wells will be remembered as being a great person and a great friend, Rob said.

"Everybody that he touched had something incredibly good to say about him," Rob said.

Police officer Mark

Woodland had known Wells since he started as an officer and is a friend of the family for as much as 20 years.

Woodland said Wells was a very good officer and was great with families. His personality is what made him unique, Woodland said, noting he never saw Roy get angry.

"He was just one of the guys everybody liked," Woodland said. "He always had a kind word to say to everybody and he's going to be missed."

Police officer Misty Weiss knew Wells from when she joined the force in 1999.

She said Wells was outgoing, friendly, nice to be around and was always available if you needed him.

"Wells would go out of his way to fix the problem without hurting other people," Weiss said. "Wells leaves behind a legacy. We'll never forget him."