Roy Hylaman

Roy E. Hylaman, age 87 of Sauk Centre died February 12, 2018 at Saint Cloud Hospital in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.

A private family graveside service was held in the Greenwood Cemetery in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Roy Elmer Hylaman was born July 15, 1930 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, to Elmer Hylaman and Laura (Smith) Hylaman.

He left home when he enlisted in the US Army in 1951 and was stationed in Germany until he returned home and took a position with the State Department as a Foreign Service Communications Officer.

While at his first posting at the American Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa he met his wife Genevieve, a Foreign Service Secretary originally from Chicago. They were married in Pretoria, South Africa on November 2, 1957 and their daughter was born there in 1959. Together they spent almost 30 years raising a family overseas as Roy pursued his career with the United States Department of State.

The family lived in Czechoslovakia, where Roy Jr. was born; Pakistan, a second time in South Africa and then in Manila, Philippines. Roy was the Regional Head of Communications for the Far East while in Manila. He travelled regularly to most every country in Asia as well as Australia, New Zealand and all the island nations in the Pacific. When the United States began to reestablish ties with China, Roy helped to open the Liaison Office in Beijing, China that would become an American Embassy in 1979 when the two countries formally entered diplomatic relations. Roy's last post before he retired from the Foreign Service was Paris, France.

After retiring from the Foreign Service Roy became an archivist with the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He very much enjoyed his interesting work declassifying records for release to the public until he retired from all government employment in 1982.

Shortly after his wife, Genevieve, passed away in Virginia, Roy's life came full circle. He returned to his hometown, Sauk Centre, to live in 2012.
Roy is survived by his children, Mary (Richard Barragan) Hylaman-Barragan of San Diego, California, and Roy Hylaman, Jr. of Alexandria, Virginia; and sister, Mary Ann Gilyard of Sauk Centre.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Genevieve Hylaman; brother, William Hylaman; and sister, Laura May Hoosline.

Memorials are preferred to American Lung Association or Gorecki Guest House in St. Cloud, Minnesota.