Joseph W. Royce

Joseph W. Royce unexpectedly passed away on April 25, 2025, while visiting family in Wichita, Kansas. Joe was born in Tyler, Texas, on November 26, 1940, the only child of Jack F. Royce and Catherine Kaemmerlen Royce. He attended St. Gregory School and graduated in the last class of Tyler High School in 1958. After attending Tyler Junior College for two years, Joe received a scholarship to play baseball at Southwestern University through the efforts of his high school teammate, Dwight Haley, with whom he also played at Southwestern. He also joined Phi Delta Theta and formed close relationships with his fraternity brothers, which he enjoyed throughout his lifetime. Joe graduated from Southwestern in 1963, before entering law school at the University of Texas and graduating in 1966. He then moved to Houston and clerked for United States District Judge John V. Singleton, Jr. It was there that he met courtroom deputy Jacque McDonald. They married on August 3, 1968, and were together for 52 years, until Jacque’s death in January 2021. Joe entered the practice of law in 1967, specializing in trust and estate work. Joe’s legal career spanned 57 years; he retired from the law firm of Gray Reed in 2023. He belonged to various bar associations and was listed among “The Best Lawyers in America” in two different categories. Joe was a member of Chapelwood United Methodist Church, a Trustee of The William A. & Madeline Welder Smith Foundation, a Trustee and Secretary of The Ralph H. and Ruth J. McCullough Foundation, a board member of the Retina Research Foundation, and a Trustee of Phi Delta Theta Foundation. Among Joe’s most satisfying activities were his continued association with Phi Delts from his college years and his roles with The Smith and McCullough Foundations. Through the Smith and McCullough Foundations he was able to contribute to the ongoing efforts of a number of organizations and institutions, including: The University of Texas System; The University of Texas at Austin; Texas A&M University; Baylor University; Texas Children’s Hospital; Special Olympics; Southwestern University; and Phi Delta Theta. He took great interest in interacting with representatives of these groups and meeting students and others who benefitted from his efforts. He particularly enjoyed his role with The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin as a member of its Advisory Council and with Phi Delta Theta. Phi Delta Theta honored him in 2023 with its highest award, the Legion of Honor, for his long-time support for and leadership relating to chapters throughout the United States and Canada, including the Texas Gamma chapter at his alma mater. Joe is survived by his son Bob Royce and wife Scarlett, of Berryville, Virginia, along with their five children: Emma, Austin, Ben (with his fiancée Olivia and their daughter Josephine), Ava, and Maya; and his daughter Holly Royce Cole and her husband Brad, of Wichita Kansas, and their three children: Ripley, Louise, and Henry. Additionally, Joe is survived by his dear companion, Charlene Pettigrew, of Houston, Texas. Friends are invited to a Celebration of Life service at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay Street, in Houston, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family would request that any donations be made to either of the following worthwhile causes: Phi Delta Theta Foundation, 2 South Campus Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, ; OR Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Mail Stop A3000, Austin, TX 78712 (Checks should be made payable to The University of Texas at Austin with “BCAH-in memory of Joe Royce” noted in the memo line or can be made by calling 1-866-4utexas (488-3927). Arrangements in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary, Wichita, KS.