Retired administrative law judge Roy L. Roulhac died of pancreatic cancer Nov. 1 at his Detroit home surrounded by family and friends. He was 71.
A self-taught genealogist, Roulhac was a fifth-generation descendant of slaves from colonial North Carolina and territorial Marianna, Jackson County, Fla. where he was born.
In 1961, he became the first of any of his direct ancestors to graduate from high school.
After attending Edward Waters College, Howard University and Southeastern University, he earned a bachelor of science in business management from Wayne State University in 1970.
Following four years of night school, Roulhac became only the second African American from his native Jackson County to earn a degree in law when he graduated from University of Detroit Mercy School of
Law in 1974.
Roulhac fulfilled his dream to work in a profession that required him to wear a suit and tie during his career as administrative law judge with the U.S. Social Security Administration from 2006-13 following service as State of Michigan administrative law judge from 1977 to 2006.
In 1976, he served as congressional district coordinator for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaigin and worked as well as an assistant Wayne County Prosecutor.
Roulhac’s civic leadership roles included president of the Michigan chapter of the Association of Black Judges, president of the State Bar of Michigan Administrative Law Section and chairperson of the State Bar of Michigan Labor & Employment Section Council.
Relocating to Detroit from Washington, D.C. in 1968, Roulhac was active in every facet of the Detroit civil rights movement.
“Roy brought scholarship, stewardship, intelligence and thoughtfulness to the movement,” said Detroit City Councilwoman Joan Watson. “He was committed to social justice, equality, peace, justice and dignity.
But he was not one who sought to have his name called. He was content to serve in the background doing research; drawn toward legal strategy to move people forward.”
An active member and past president of the Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society, Roulhac culminated his 30-plus year family research journey with the 2013 publication of “Slave Genealogy of the Roulhac
Family: French Masters and the Africans they Enslaved.”
Hours before his death, Roulhac’s daughter, Dr. Sheryl Johnson-Roulhac represented him at the Society’s 35th anniversary celebration where he received the Margaret McCall Thomas Ward History Maker Award for his work as a scholar, researcher and author.
He also was honored with the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council for achievement, leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life and a Certificate of Recognition from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan for his work has an author, historian, and fourth president of the genealogical society.
Besides his daughter Roulhac is survived partner Floyd E. Myers; three grandsons, and two great-grandsons.
A Celebration of Life remembering Roulhac will be held Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 East Warren Avenue, Detroit.
Family hour will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the service scheduled at 10 a.m.
Family visitation will be held in the East Room, 1300 East Lafayette Street, Detroit, on Friday, Nov. 14 from 5-7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Hon. Roy L. Roulhac Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Detroit Mercy School Law 651 East Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48226.
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