George Sibley Royal – Colonel, United States Army

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GEORGE SIBLEY ROYAL, Colonel, USA (Ret.), died peacefully in his sleep at the Lower Cape Fear Hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina on Wednesday, June 25, 2003.

He was born on January 13, 1920 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Dr. Paul Ambrose Royal and Dorothy Sibley Royal. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margit Viola Bergstrom Royal, a nurse with the Swedish Hospital in Pusan, Korea, whom he met while stationed in Japan and Korea from 1950-1952. Margit and George were married February 19, 1952 in Yokohama, Japan and returned to the United States thereafter, where Colonel Royal continued his military career.

Colonel Royal received his BA degree in Economics and English from the University of Nebraska in 1942 and continued his university studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was assigned to a newly formed Officer Candidate Training program and also completed a second BA degree in Economics and Business. He earned his MEA at the University of Pennsylvania School of Business in 1955.

Throughout his military career, he completed advanced training at the Officer Candidate Training School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and at the University of Pittsburgh.

Colonel Royal’s military career included foreign assignments in Japan and Korea (1950-1952), where he was an Adjutant to the Swedish Hospital in Pusan, Korea; Heidelberg, Germany(1955-1958), where he served first as an Assistant for Supply Operations, and later as Deputy Commander of Supply and Distribution; a second tour in Korea (1963-64) as a commanding officer for various supply and transportation operations; and in Thailand (1968-1969), where he was in charge of military transportation.

Having served his country with distinction during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Viet Nam Conflict, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with two clusters and the Bronze Star.

He completed his career in Washington, DC (1959-1972) at the Pentagon, serving variously as Chief of Career Planning (Office of Personnel Division), Chief of the Transportation Corps (Office of Personnel Division), and Chief of the Operations Mobility Division with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired from military service on March 1, 1972 and shortly thereafter joined The American Mover’s Conference as their Military Liaison. He retired from the AMC in 1985.

Colonel Royal and his wife spent his retirement years traveling the United States and Canada in their motor home. He loved the mountains and spaces of the west, was an avid photographer, a country-western and big band music aficionado, and loved Nebraska football. He never met a stranger and leaves behind a number of cherished friends in Springfield, Virginia.

He is survived by his daughter, Dr. Margit Elizabeth Royal and her husband, Dr. Jerald Wolford of Wilmington, North Carolina; his son, Dr. George Paul Royal and his wife, Sharon Sue Royal; and two grandsons, Stephen Paul Royal and Brandon Jacob Royal of Jacksonville, Florida; one sister, Dr. Pauline Langsley and her husband, Dr. Donald Langsley of Evanston, Illinois and three nieces, Karen Langsley of Austin Texas, Dorrie Langsley Runman of Berkeley, California, and Susan Langsley Adams of Portland, Oregon.

His legacy to each of us is a love of music, an appreciation of nature, the importance of a job well done, patriotism and the strength of friendship and family.

The family will hold a private memorial service at Andrews Mortuary with final interment to occur at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Memorial donations may be made to The Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 725-A Wellington Ave, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401-7615 or to the Army Transportation Museum Foundation, PO Drawer D, Fort Eustis, Virginia 23604-0320.

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