MANCHESTER, Vt.—H.M. Royal III, widely known as Bud Royal, died Jan. 10 in Manchester at the age of 91, with his wife of 68 years, Dorothy, at his side and surrounded by his daughters via video.
Born in Trenton, N.J., Bud Royal attended the University of Pennsylvania before leaving to serve in the U.S Army National Guard from 1950 to 1952.
He began his rubber industry career in 1952 when he joined the family business, H.M. Royal, Inc., a chemical sales and distribution company founded by his father, H.M. Royal Jr.
Bud Royal worked in sales and business development, focusing on the industrial manufacturing base in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
He succeeded his father in the role of president of H.M. Royal in 1980. He guided the company in growth and expansion, helping it to become a national sales and distribution company. Bud Royal retired as president of the company in 1992, and then took on the role as senior manager and mentor for the businesses' West Coast operation, H.M. Royal of California in Buena Park, Calif., until 1995.
During his career, Bud Royal was a member of the ACS Rubber Division for 40 years.
"Bud was a great stabilizing force as our company moved from its 'Founder' stage and into the second generation of family management," said Joe Royal, current president of H.M. Royal and third-generation family member in the company. "Bud established a solid base to continue the company's success and make a smooth transition to the third generation."
Bud Royal and his wife moved to Grafton, Vt., in 2005, spending half the year there and the other six months in Bermuda, where their daughters and grandchildren live. He was a lover of golf, scuba diving and fishing.
He is survived by his wife Dorothy; daughters Cathy (Peter) Woolf, Hollie (Phillip) McIntosh and Ann (Ray) Beaulne; and grandchildren, Adam and Neil Mcintosh, and Katie and Lily Beaulne.
Donations in his memory can be made to: Grafton Rescue Squad, Attn: Keith Hermiz, P.O. Box 54, 711 Route 121 East, Grafton, Vt., 05146.