Floyd “Sonny” DeRoy Mooney, Jr. Obituary

"Floyd "Sonny" DeRoy Mooney, Jr., 83, of Sabetha, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at his home in Sabetha, Kansas. Floyd was born on January 18, 1942, in Moray, Kansas, to Floyd and Esther (Steuart) Mooney. He grew up on a farm in the Moray area with his three sisters. He attended Moray Grade School and graduated from Troy High School in 1959. After graduation, he enrolled at Highland Community Junior College in Highland, Kansas. But the Vietnam War caused him to join the United States Navy. Floyd went to boot camp at the Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California, and after completion, he was assigned to a dock landing ship. He was also in the Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Floyd became interested in the trucking industry. He drove for hire for a while, but then he bought and operated his own trucking business. Floyd was united in marriage to Karen Paden on December 11, 1964, and they had two children, Shelly and Shane. Karen passed away on July 20, 2009, and Shane was killed in a car accident on October 10, 1992. Marriage and children caused him to crave more at-home time, so he worked briefly for Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, working as an outside machinist, which served him well. But his family's "homesickness" caused him to move back to Kansas. He started a truck repair business, Floyd's Truck Repair, in the early 1970's. His early trucking experiences, machinery expertise, and honesty made his business a successful endeavor. In addition, his hard work, strong work ethic, and his mindset of "working any time" and "keeping them running" served the trucking industry and his business well. Floyd and his business prospered. He enjoyed the new technologies and studied them with his can-do style. His broad understanding of the industry made him the envy of his mechanic/operator friends. The sound of his smooth shifting with steady throttle (the old gearboxes) brought smiles to old truckers and envy to the "newbies." Floyd met and married the love of his life, Debbie Ferguson, on November 11, 2011. Debbie passed away on May 3, 2025. Apparently, the good LORD has a load of stars to ship to his next galaxy – he picked a "can-do" soul to make it happen. Floyd is survived by his daughter, Shelly of Elwood, Kansas; his grandchildren, Chris Mooney, Colby Mooney, and Nathan Cepuran; his great-grandchildren; his sister, Barbara Simpson of Huntington Beach, California; his nephews, Paul Higgins of St. Joseph, Missouri, David Higgins of Severance, Kansas, and Joseph Messerschmidt of Orange, California; his nieces, Sherry Higgins of Overland Park, Kansas, Yulonda Rios of Rancho Mirage, California, Donia Hodge of Huntington Beach, California, and Lindsey Land of Denver, Colorado; and his beloved crew at Floyd's Truck Repair, Gary Gilbert, Brian Burenheide, Fred Beck, and Robert Waggoner. Floyd's wishes were to be cremated. A Celebration of Life Service for Floyd and Debbie Mooney will be held on Friday, January 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the NorthRidge Church in Sabetha. Before the service, a visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. After the service, a luncheon will be held at the church. Memorial contributions are suggested to a fund yet to be designated by the family sent in care of Popkess Mortuary, 823 Virginia Street, Sabetha, Kansas 66534. Condolences can be shared online at www.popkessmortuaries.com.