I saw him four times, three times as a bandleader and once as part of a star-studded Brubeck tribute (I seem to recall that he played an unabashedly pretty version of 'In Your Own Sweet Way'). Although his bands could suffer from his use of inexperienced musicians, he took obvious pride in serving as a mentor.
The last time I saw him was in June when he played a fiery miniature set as part of a Coltrane tribute. His band was better than I'd seen him with before. I'll remember how encouraging he was to his young bandmates that night.
Thank you for the music, Mr. Roney, and rest in peace.