Royal Tucker Jr.

1938 - 2025

Royal Stevens Tucker, Jr. (Roy), the only child of Royal Stevens Tucker, Sr. and Clara Burch Tucker, passed away on August 12, 2025, at The Pearl at Watkins Centre of Midlothian. He was preceeded in death by his parents and is survived by his beloved daughters Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Gilbert and Anne-Stevens Carter Tierney and her husband John F. Tierney, and grandchildren, Megan Gilbert, Tucker, John (Mac), and Anne Tate Tierney; many cousins and Elizabeth (Betty) Vanderslice, mother to his girls and life-long friend.

Roy graduated from George Washington High School in Danville, VA, in 1957, and received degrees from both Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1961), where he proudly served in the Corp., and the University of Virginia (Master of Mechanical Engineering, 1968). He was a devoted Hokie always. Roy enjoyed several engineering positions, including the building of the United States Enterprise CVA (N) 65 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., (Newport News); Babcock and Wilcox Co., (Lynchburg) as Test and Design Engineer; Allied Chemical (Petersburg) as Project Manager; and Honeywell (Hopewell) from which he retired as Project Engineer. In his private time, Roy was a voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction and stored and recalled facts quickly. He enjoyed fishing in the Chesapeake Bay with his buddies and playing poker with them on Friday nights; weekend sailing with his family on his boat, the Sarah Anne, named for his beloved girls; all kinds of music from the '50s and '60s, and served as the family historian. He was also a substitute Sunday School teacher and served as a church deacon. He was a 32 Degree Mason, a member of the Scottish Rite, and a lifetime member of the Danville Masonic Lodge.

Roy was always a proud and loving dad and grandad to his "chicks" and all their activities, from ballgames, ballet recitals, theatre performances, horseback riding and shows, piano recitals; whatever their involvement was, his beaming face was there. They will all miss his love and support, his quick wit, his ability to repair or build anything, and his advice; they will simply miss not having him at the end of the phone, the dining room table, or just around the corner.

A graveside funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 19th, 2025 at 1:30PM at Highland Park Cemetery, 1160 Franklin Turnpike, Danville, VA 24540.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Boys Home of Virginia, Covington, VA, or to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Engineering Department, Blacksburg, VA 24061.