Deacon Milton “Skip” Royer, a long-serving deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, passed away on October 7, 2024, at the age of 86. He was ordained by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk on September 25, 1976, marking him as part of the first permanent ordination class in the Archdiocese. Deacon Skip dedicated forty-eight years to his role as a permanent deacon.

Initially assigned to Corpus Christi Parish in Dayton following his ordination, Deacon Skip served there for twenty-one years. During this time, he also held the position of pastoral administrator for a period in 1988. In 1998, he was reassigned to Queen of Martyrs Parish in Dayton by Archbishop Pilarczyk. A decade later, in 2008, his responsibilities expanded to include Queen of Martyrs, Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Mercy parishes as they merged into one pastoral region. He continued his ministry within these parishes until retirement.

Deacon Skip is survived by his wife Wanda with whom he shared sixty years of marriage. He also leaves behind their four children and their spouses, fourteen grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren.