Social media sensation Joe Mack Roy dead after fighting sudden health battle – as family of Pop Watch star says goodbye

A BELOVED grandfather who rose to fame on Facebook and TikTok for his heartwarming personality and Southern wisdom has died.

The Facebook -turned- TikTok sensation was transferred to hospice care Wednesday night and died early Thursday morning, according to updates on his account Pop Watch .

Facebook/Pop Watch

Instagram/ Jason Roy

Instagram/ Jason Roy

Instagram/ Jason Roy

Roy, also known as “Pop,” rose to social media fame when clips of his witty comments and love for Dr. Pepper were posted to the Facebook account by his grandchildren.

The grandchildren of a Facebook sensation, who suddenly died Thursday morning, are commemorating him with heartfelt posts.

Early Thursday afternoon, his grandchildren posted an update announcing the sad death of their grandfather.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my grandfather, better known as ‘Pop,’ peacefully passed away last night with our family by his side,” the post began.

“‘When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.’

“I am so grateful to have gotten to spend 40 years of my life with him and can only hope to live to be as old and wise as he was.

“I just think to myself, how lucky am I to have had someone that was so hard to say “goodbye” to? Thank y’all so much for all your prayers. They have been felt and are appreciated more than you will ever know. Pop may not have met all of y’all, but he loved you all,” his grandson Jason wrote.

The Facebook post received over 82,000 comments in under an hour and 233,000 reactions from followers.

His grandchild who runs the Pop Watch account thanked fans for their support and kind words.

“I appreciate all the kind words. Pop never really understood the world he helped protect by being in the hearts of so many,” they wrote.

“Pop didn’t grasp no matter how many times I explained how big the world had truly gotten and how important and loved he was. He only kept up with what he could see from his front porch swing.

“Even though he may not have fully realized but he was a surrogate Grandfather to millions of people. The long lasting impact of the love that flowed both ways will always be felt. Everyone deserves a ‘Pop.’ I’m glad I got to share mine with all of yall.”

Pop’s family also wrote a moving tribute for east Texas CBS affiliate KYTX .

In an article written by Pop’s granddaughter Reagan Roy, Reagan celebrated her late grandfather’s legacy and paid tribute to his and her grandmother’s relationship.

“Pop met his wife, Mary — also known as ‘Nan,’ while stationed in Puerto Rico with the U.S. Air Force in 1955. Their feelings for each other were instant. Three days after they met, Pop was scheduled to return to Texas. The new couple decided to marry and settle in Longview as husband and wife, and the rest is history,” she explained.

“They would’ve celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in March 2025.”

She ended her heartfelt story by once again thanking everyone who supported the family over the year.

“My family would like to take the time to say ‘thank you’ to the millions around the world who have welcomed our family into yours. We are forever grateful to all of you,” she wrote.

“Services for Pop are pending.”

UPHILL BATTLE

For the past few weeks, Roy’s granddaughter and grandson have been posting updates about his health on both Facebook and Instagram.

Prior to the announcement of his death, his grandchildren told followers that the Internet legend would be transferred to hospice.

In a 12-minute video, Roy’s grandson, Jason, announced that “things have taken a turn for the worst.”

“Within the last 24 hours, his body basically shut down on him,” his grandson said.

“He fell asleep and couldn’t wait back up. His vitals was still good but slowly dropping. His breathing was still good but slowly dropping.”

Jason captioned his video, saying that it’s been a “difficult past few days” and thanked everyone for the “overwhelming love and support for Pop.”

Instagram/ Jason Roy

Facebook/ Pop Watch