Deceased January 28, 2015
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In Memory
Bob Royce entered Amherst in the fall of 1949, following his graduation from the Brooks School in North Adams, Mass.
While I did not know Bob well during our freshman year, that changed in the summer of 1950, when a Marine Corps Reserve Unit, including Bob, me and several other Amherst students, was activated when the Korean War began.
At the Parris Island boot camp, Bob showed his skill with rifles, easily qualifying as a marksman. After that, Bob, Dave Van Hoesen ’55, Tom Lockie ’53 and I were together at electronic technician and radio repair schools with cold-weather infantry training tossed in until we were deactivated in February 1952. We returned to Amherst that fall as members of the class of 1955.
Bob’s academic interests were in astronomy, physics and math, which served him well when he later found employment. He was a person of strong convictions and was always ready to express them. Bob and I roomed together in Valentine Hall for two years with a group of friendly and outgoing students occupying other rooms.
Bob married Liz Kenney right after graduation. Liz was the true love of his life. Bob and Liz moved to the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., that summer. Bob taught astronomy and physics and was in charge of the Wood Squad, which involved a great deal of outdoor labor. In 1965, he became business manager of the school, serving in that role until his retirement. Liz was also actively involved in the Indian Mountain School. Following her death, and after Bob retired, he established an endowment fund there in her memory.
In retirement, Bob and Liz moved to Orleans, Mass., on Cape Cod, where Bob continued his interest in environmental issues. Bob is survived by two children, their spouses and three grandchildren.
Edson Sheppard ’55