Born May 12, 1928 in Houston Heights Hospital, Bobby grew up on Heights Blvd. He attended Reagan High School, where he lettered in track, basketball, and earned All City honors as an end on the football team. After graduating high school in 1946, he joined the U.S. Army and served for two years stationed primarily in Alaska. After an honorable discharge as a sergeant, he attended and played football for Tulane, and then for North Texas State University, before graduating in 1952. In 1958 Bob married Georgia Ann Kennerly, daughter of the late Thomas Everton Kennerly and Georgia Dancy Kennerly. Bob and Ann raised three sons Robert Leaman Royall II, Ronall Kennerly Royall, and Roland Thomas Royall.
Bob worked most of his life for Business Extension Bureau (“BEB”) of Texas. In the mid-1960s he bought BEB with his business partner of 57 years, Jim Tardy, and grew his company into the successful business that it is today. He loved the BEB family and worked up until his death. He was one of the founding members of his business association, MASA-Southwest, in the early 1960s. He also served as president of MASA-SW in the 1970s and in 2001, received their highest award, the Ed Helsley Memorial Award, for significant contributions to the direct mail industry.
Bob also was involved in his community, serving as an active member of the Houston Rotary club for 59 years. He was a 55 year long member of Berachah Church, serving as deacon and usher during that time. He was also a founding board member of West Briar School in 1970, later serving as its president. A fourth generation Texan, he was a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, and a descendant of one of the Republic’s first founding fathers, Richard Royster Royall. He loved his country and his state. Bob was a beloved husband, father and grandfather. A man of integrity, Bob was a Christian, a family man and a patriot.
He was preceded in death by his father Richard Royster Royall III, mother Gladys Leaman Royall, brother Richard Royster Royall IV, and brother-in-law Thomas Everton Kennerly Jr. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ann; sons Rob, Ron, and Ro; daughter-in-law Sharon Royall; grandchildren Cory Chance Houston, Haley Elizabeth Houston, Randall Lee Royall, and Richard Royster Royall VI; and brother- and sisters-in-law Dan Kennerly, Joyce Kennerly, and Mary Marcia Kennerly; and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.
Serving as pallbearers are his grandsons, nephews James Bonham Kennerly and Steven Travis Oeland, and friend and business colleague Richard Vidock. Honorary pallbearers are nephews Richard Royster Royall V and John Christian Oeland, brother-in-law Dan Kennerly, friend and partner James Tardy, and caring friends Fred Curry, Walter Barnes, Dr. Gerald Maness, Dr. Timothy Doyle, and Christopher Riley.
The family would like to thank the physicians and caregivers from Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital and Specialty Select Hospital-Houston West.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from noon until half-past two o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 6th of December, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
The interment will follow, via an escorted cortege, at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.
The memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 7th of December, at Berachah Church, 2815 Sage Road, where Pastor Robert B. Thieme III, is to officiate.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception at a venue to be announced during the service.
In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in Bob’s memory may be directed to R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, P. O. Box 460829, Houston, Texas 77056; or to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 841125, Dallas, TX 75284-1125.
We are so blessed and thankful to God for his life.
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