Roy Gerard

1931 - 2024

Roy Gerard
09/14/1931 - 12/28/2024
Roy Dupuy Gerard passed away on Saturday, December 28th at the ripe old age of 93. He will be missed by all who knew him and remembered fondly for his sharp mind, kindness, and overwhelming generosity.
Roy was born on September 14, 1931 in New Orleans, LA, the youngest of 5 children, to Helene and Lester Gerard. He led an adventurous youth in New Orleans which included a lot of time spent at his uncle's shipyard…a time he remembered fondly in his later years. After high school, he attended LSU and in his Sophomore year joined Lamda Chi Alpha, an experience he felt was quite formative for his social skills. He received his bachelor's in engineering in 1953. Following graduation, he served in the US Army Corps of Engineers, working on the distant early warning system in the Arctic. He returned to LSU to obtain his Master's Degree in chemical engineering, graduating in 1958.
In 1958, Roy married Jackie Harper. He and Jackie had 4 children together, all of whom have survived them both. Roy (Wendy), Carl (Nathy), Nannette (Jed) and Denise (John). Roy is also survived by his 8 grandchildren, Travis, Elise, Jacqueline, Kelli, Rachel, Randy, Lily and Henry, and 6 great-grandchildren, Rhys, Hudson, Brody, Emily, Ben and Quinn. Sadly, Jackie passed in 2016. She and Roy spent 58 years together and she has been sorely missed.
Though Roy was most proud of his family, he was also exceptionally proud of his long and successful career. He began his career with Shell Chemical Company as a chemist at their Norco Plant near New Orleans. Over the next 15 years, Roy's job required many moves, eventually landing he and his family in Houston, TX.
In Houston, Roy's career with Shell thrived. In 1980 he was appointed as first president of Saudi Petrochemical Company, a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Arabian chemical company Sabic. He served as President there for 2 years before returning to Shell to finish out his career. He retired in 1992 as Vice President of Health and Safety. Roy continued to do consulting work for Saudi Petrochemical and Sabic for several years after his retirement.
During his career, Roy served on the LSU College of Engineering Dean's Advisory Council, as well as on university visiting committees at LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. He also served as chairman of the Council for Chemical Research, vice-chairman of the Conference Board's Council for Environmental Affairs and executive committee member of the American Petroleum Institute's Health and General Committee. He was inducted into the Engineering Hall of Distinction at LSU in 1996 and the LSU Society for Engineering Excellence in 2022.
Though Roy and Jackie were both active in philanthropy in their later years, Roy's proudest achievement was establishing the LSU Gerard Family Undergraduate Scholarship in Chemical Engineering in 1988. Jackie encouraged Roy to create the scholarship fund, as he often spoke of his time at LSU and the difference scholarship money had made to him. The scholarship was endowed through leveraging Shell's matching gift program, a contribution from his brother and an IRA rollover, and continues to support undergraduates in chemical engineering at LSU to this day. There will be no public memorial, only a private family gathering. For those interested in honoring Roy's memory, the Gerard family ask that you consider contributing to the LSU fund via the following link: giveLSU.org/roygerard