Roy I. Kimmel JR.

Roy has spread his wings and taken flight on his next adventure. Roy I Kimmel, Jr died August 1, 2025 at Hospice of the Fisher Home in North Amherst, MA. Husband, father, mentor, friend, companion, Roy was a New Deal baby born January 2, 1936 to Healen H Hughes and Roy I Kimmel in Baltimore, MD The son of a diplomat, Roy grew up in several countries and experienced many cultures worldwide. Shipped off to 11 schools in 13 years - many of which he hated - Roy graduated from Saint Andrews School in Middletown, DE and the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI with a degree in Industrial Design. With his family stationed overseas, Roy witnessed first hand the devastation of war torn England and Germany immediately after WWII, living in London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Schlesvig-Holstein and later in New Zealand and Honduras. Between the oversea's posts he would return to the United States. Throughout these moves his eyes and ears were constantly open to new ideas and the injustices he saw. Throughout his life Roy maintained a strong moral compass and questioned the status quo. Work-wise, Roy was game for anything. From working in city planning to designing paper furniture to serving as vice president of a manufacturing company working with transportation authorities nationwide to making detailed architectural models for leading architectural firms in metropolitan New York to driving a bus full time for PVTA here in the valley and acting as its shop steward to presenting a comprehensive study on public transportation for Leverett's one-person transportation committee until he fired himself, Roy pursued and enjoyed his many careers which proved as varied as his upbringing. Inquisitive and open to ideas, Roy never ceased learning, reading, and exploring. He had an acute memory and an incredible eye for detail. In fact, he was a real detail guy who always liked to improve on design and/or concepts. Roy could talk about almost everything with anyone. And when he stopped talking he could be a good listener, too. Roy had a passion for history and politics and was fascinated by other subjects as well. A connoisseur of the streamlined era, design of the 1930's, film noir, industrial design, art, architecture, black and white photography, all things transportation, blue highways, a less is more approach to life, to name a few, he was always curious. In 2011 Roy wrote "In Transit," his book based on his bus experiences and buses in general: cross country travels with his grandmother when young, a teenager traveling alone to Lincoln, NE to work for his uncle's beer distribution business, working with major transit companies, on the job adventures while driving for PVTA, and a more nuts and bolts section devoted to gear heads and the aesthetics of bus design. Roy's was a life well lived. Given his unique experiences, Roy decided to write "What I Remember, What I Think," a memoir for his family. Sadly, he took flight before he could complete it. But what Roy wrote is a treasure for us. We hold it close. Roy is survived by his family: Cynthia Thomas Kimmel, his wife of 45 years, Leverett, MA, his daughter Jennifer Wright of Avila Beach, Ca, and his son Ian Kimmel of Montclair, NJ. He is also survived by extended family members: brother Thomas Kimmel of Shorewood, WI, half brother John Rosenthal of Amherst, MA, and former wife Anandi F. Kimmel of West Orange, NJ. Another brother Michael Kimmel predeceased him. Donations may be made in Roy's name to Hospice of the Fisher Home, Franklin Land Trust, and Rattlesnake Gutter Trust, all close to Roy's heart. A celebration for Roy will be held Saturday, October 4 from 1:30 - 3:30 at Leverett Town Hall, Leverett, MA. Memorial guestbook can be found at www.douglassfuneral.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of ROY, please visit our floral store.