Roy Franklin Beverage, 74, of Thurmont, Maryland, passed away Saturday, March 9, 2024.
He was born March 2, 1950 in Hyde Park, Maryland.
Roy had many fond memories of growing up in Hyde Park, such as playing baseball and helping his father do the repairs and upkeep at Mars Hill Baptist Church. Roy’s best friend, Garry, lived across the street from him. They are friends to this very day. Roy left high school early to join the Job Corps, training at the Jacobs Creek Job Corps in Tennessee and earning his GED there. Roy learned to run heavy equipment and there met his ultimate mentor, Mr. Howard Brown. Mr. Brown not only taught him technical knowledge but also stressed the importance of believing in God and treating people right.
Roy’s training at Job Corps culminated in him becoming an Operating Engineer Union Member in Baltimore, Local 37. At age 19 he was, and still is, the youngest “Card Carrying” member of the Operating Engineers Union.
After working several years out of Local 37, Roy went into business for himself. Royal Renovations was incorporated in 1984. Roy worked on diverse projects. He was a problem solver, producing creative solutions to construction and engineering problems. He worked on high-end projects as well as large scale construction projects. In 2014, Royal Renovations received a Residential Design Award for a Master Suite Renovation from the American Institute of Architects.
Creating beautiful structures and furniture was not only Roy’s profession but his passion, as well. He would rapidly and proudly recite a few of the jobs with which he was involved: Operating tower cranes on the World Trade Center and the Winthrop House in Baltimore; the Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant; the Baltimore subway and the Fort McHenry Tunnel. He installed more than 3,000 windows in a single apartment complex in Baltimore and once installed a record 50 windows in one day.
As a child, Roy loved visiting “Aunt Clytie and Uncle Leo Davis” in Marlinton, especially in the summer. He would sometimes spend his entire summer vacation from school there. He would ride with Uncle Leo on the oil delivery truck. On Saturdays, Roy and his siblings would each earn a quarter to go to the movies in town.
In 1998, Roy and his family built a cabin on family property in Marlinton. The cabin features five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a Franklin wood stove; plus the mandatory wrap-around porch complete with rocking chairs from one end to the other. Roy loved visiting there, and he did so whenever he got the opportunity.
Roy met his future wife, Catherine, in 1969, right after Job Corps. They were wed in 1972. The couple gave birth to three children, Nancy Michelle (died an infant), Jacob and Stephen.
Roy and Catherine worked hard to create opportunities and provide an education for Jacob and Stephen. He was proud to see his boys graduate from Gilman School, Vanderbilt University and Boston College. Watching his sons grow up and succeed was the most rewarding thing in Roy’s life. He was proud of them, their wives, and his five grandchildren.
His family brought him great joy. Being a grandfather was a wonderful chapter in his life. He took to the role fondly and Grand Dad was greatly loved by his grandkids.
You can also see his handiwork at his residence, affectionately known as “The Compound.” He and his wife bought this property in 2000; then he added 10 outbuildings including a tree house with a suspension bridge and a three-car garage that he called “the shop.” Summers at The Compound would find grandkids running around the treehouse and Roy playing volleyball in the pool with the family.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Joann; daughter, Nancy; and brother, Richard.
He is survived by his wife, Catherine; sons Jacob (Jenn) and Stephen (Rochelle); five grandchildren, Luke, Claire, Isabelle, Jacqueline and Harrison; brother David (Charlene); and sister, Mary Christina (Alvin).
A service celebrating Roy’s life will be held at noon Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Knights of Columbus Gardens, 4301 Klosterman Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Emmitsburg Osteopathic Primary Care Center. EOPCC is the cumulation of the life work of Roy’s friend and doctor, Bonita Portier, D.O. EOPCC is a non-profit teaching and medical practice committed to serving all with compassionate care, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Checks may be made payable to EOPCC and sent to POB 291, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. Roy loved this clinic.
