Let’s talk about the late Vesta Roy (3/26/25-2/9/02), someone I’ve known but didn’t know well until recently. Rep Moffett mentioned her in his recent article to promote his perennial pitch (CACR 1) for having a lieutenant governor. Her centennial birthday makes a good excuse to talk about her again.
There’s no need to rewrite her biography as she has her own Wiki page, but I’ll recap a few things, including stuff about her personal life. More on that in a moment. Before their DC swampdom, two women have occupied our Corner Office for multiple terms, but not many people know that we had a “Granite State Jane Swift” before that and before the swearing in of Old Man Sununu. The death of his predecessor during that late December holiday break promoted Vesta Roy to acting governor, making her the first woman in that position. She was also the first woman to acquire the Senate gavel.
Possession of the gavel was not the only thing Vesta had in common with Chuck Morse. She also occupied seat 22 in the senate after rising up through the ranks of the Salem town government. Election security watchdogs will like knowing that her first position was Supervisor of the Checklist, a critical job that isn’t being taken seriously in Hollis, but that’s a separate story.
There is a more esoteric detail about Vesta Roy’s biography: her husband was an optometrist. Stay with me on this, especially if you live in District 13, but I want to first point out the oil painting of her that’s on display outside the Senate Chamber entrance and next to the stairwell. Regardless of who your eye doctor is, you will SEE that Vesta was NOT an ugly woman.
If you’ve never lived in District 13, the question I put forth might not resonate with you. “Are you ready for the question?” That’s a question regularly asked by the Senate president. Without delay, I will share my question: ” How did the wife of an optometrist avoid becoming ugly in the Senate?” I will share a few possible answers.
Let’s start with the bad reputation the number 13 has. Vesta Roy did not occupy seat 13 and avoided the bad luck of being ugly. Let’s assume Vesta’s husband was a decent and upright man. That means he did NOT steal political signs. At least, as far as I know, Dr Roy was never caught stealing anything. Lastly, the Roys did not live or work in the worst city in the state, which can take a big toll on anyone in modern-day NH. Was it all the above or perhaps none of the above? You decide.
I will finish by pointing out something else about March 26. Leonard Nimoy turns 94, but I know I don’t have to wait 6 years before someone calls this article “illogical.” It will probably happen in 6 minutes.
