The death of John V. Roach leaves a massive void for Fort Worth.

Friends and colleagues said few have had a bigger impact on Fort Worth and TCU than Roach, who died Sunday at 83. Roach had battled complications from diabetes in recent months, but had been recovering well, according to friends.

The Roach family released a statement Monday morning.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of John Roach, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was also a mentor, a leader, and a visionary who gave generously of his time to his family, friends, and his community here in Fort Worth and well beyond,” the statement read. “John was driven by his desire to continually improve life for the people of our community, particularly in education, healthcare and the performing arts. We will miss his wisdom and wit, his passion for helping people and his deep love of family. We are grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support received during this difficult time.”

Friend Dee J. Kelly Jr. called Roach a mentor.

“He was just all about Fort Worth, his family, and TCU,” said Kelly, a Fort Worth attorney. “Those were his loves. He was engaged in those three things all his life. I thought he was recovering and was shocked when I heard he had passed. He was a pillar of Fort Worth. A huge loss for our city. He leaves behind a great legacy and a big void for the city.”

He joined Tandy as a data processing manager and helped lead the company as a pioneer in the microcomputer industry.

Roach was integral in foreseeing how personal computing could change the future for the business and consumers. In 1977, Tandy introduced one of the first retail home computers, the TRS-80. Tandy hired eventual Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen to write the software code for the TRS-80.

“I was saddened to hear of John’s passing. John’s vision and his ability to get early computers, like the TRS-80, into people’s hands through Radio Shack made him one of the true pioneers of this industry,” Gates said in a statement on Monday. “He helped create a market that so many people and companies benefited from as the personal computing industry took shape.”

Roach earned a physics and math degree from TCU and later added a master’s degree in business administration. It was during his graduate school time at TCU that Roach first learned of computer programming.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Jean, daughters Amy Roach Bailey and Lori Roach Davis, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His wife and two daughters are also TCU graduates. They would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Roach was active in the community up until recently. He hosted the Fort Worth Executive Roundtable Luncheon, a group he founded, on Feb. 7. He announced during the luncheon that he was handing the reins of the roundtable to Kelly and Hillwood president Mike Berry. Video of Roach’s final appearance at the roundtable is available on YouTube.

“It’s great that we have that video because nobody had any idea this would happen,” Kelly said. “We’ve lost some very significant people from his generation and it’s up to the next group to fill that void. It remains to be seen.”

Roach’s legacy of community involvement will be carried on by all of those he touched.

“There’s a group of folks who worked with him,” Kelly said. “I think he’d expect those people to continue doing what they’re doing.”

Roach was elected chairman of TCU’s Board of Trustees in 1990 and led the “1990s Project,” an initiative to help set the school’s agenda for the next 10 years. He helped hire Michael R. Ferrari as TCU chancellor in 1998 to replace William E. Tucker when he retired. He served on the board until 2005.

Roach’s forward thinking while head of Tandy Corp. even touched the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

In 1982, he approached then publisher Philip J. Meek about launching an online news service as a way to promote computer and modem sales. With Tandy’s help, the Star-Telegram became the second newspaper in the country to go online with StarText on May 3, 1982.

“For those who prefer to pick up the day’s news on their television screen rather than the front porch, the Star-Telegram, in a joint effort with the Tandy Corp., will introduce an electronic news service called STAR-Text that will be accessible to persons with compatible home computer systems,” read a story in the Star-Telegram’s business section on May 1, according to former Star-Telegram reporter Gerry Barker, who joined the StarText project for the paper in 1982.

The 24-hour news service cost $5 a month for subscribers.

Roach helped launch the national Tandy Technology Scholars Program to help promote the study of science and math. The program rewarded teachers and students who led in those areas. The program was later named the RadioShack National Teacher Awards Program. It awarded more than $3.5 million and enrolled 83% of the country’s secondary schools.

“I wanted to do something that would help America be more competitive tomorrow in a world where technology is a major driving force,” Roach said.

Former Rep. Pete Geren, who served in Congress from 1989 to 1997 and later was secretary of the Air Force and secretary of the Army under President George W. Bush, called Roach the greatest champion of Fort Worth.

“Almost to his last breath he was working to build a brighter future for the city he loved,” Geren said.

TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini mourned his passing in a statement and thanked Roach for hiring him 19 years ago.

“John had the most tremendous impact on TCU; he was a devoted fan, leader and visionary who was passionate about TCU in all ways possible,” TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini said. “John was dedicated first and foremost to changing the lives of our students. His leadership of the Board of Trustees and University during a time of unprecedented change and growth has made TCU the top national university is it today. This is a huge loss for the Horned Frog family.”

TCU trustees chairman Mark Johnson said he’ll never “walk the grounds of the campus without thinking of him.”

“I will always remember John for his keen business and economic acumen and his decades-long, servant leadership of TCU,” Johnson said. “His dedication to this great school, whether leading the Board, making financial contributions, or attending an athletic or social event, exemplified a tremendous fiduciary responsibility as well as a genuine love for his alma mater. John truly desired for each student to be well-prepared for the road ahead.”

Roach and his wife have been long time supporters of the Fort Worth arts community and Jean Roach is still a member of the Bass Hall Board of Directors. The couple has been synonymous with the city.

“He had incredible commitment to making Fort Worth the best place to live and work that was possible,” former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr said. “He was the preeminent business and civic leader in the city for many years.”

Roach’s standing in the Fort Worth business community coupled with his TCU ties helped form an “outsized role” for him in the area, Barr said.

“In a lot of different areas: business, civic, and the cultural life,” Barr said. “When we had an issue and we needed business community leadership, John was the first person I always called. He could get things done and he have sage advice. He always got his phone calls returned.”

“They probably know more people in Fort Worth than anyone I know of,” Barr said. “You can’t go anywhere with them and not encounter people they’ve worked with on various things in the community. It’s a real loss.”

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price called Roach “Mr. Fort Worth.”

“I am deeply saddened to have lost a dear friend and long time supporter of mine today, John Roach. John was known as Mr. Fort Worth for his impact on business and philanthropy throughout North Texas,” she said in a statement. “John worked tirelessly to make Fort Worth a better place for over 50 years. I offer my most sincere condolences to John’s family and to all those who loved him.”

U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, a TCU trustee, said in a statement: “Rest in Peace to a dear friend, John Roach. John was a leader and visionary for the the TCU and Fort Worth community. It was a great honor to serve with John on TCU’s Board of Trustees and witness his commitment to building a brighter future for students and the community he loved. And as John would always say, Go Frogs.”