Royce J. Chezem, Jr., a longtime Pacific Palisades resident, passed away on December 21 in Nampa, Idaho, of natural causes. He was 81. Born in West Los Angeles, Royce attended Brentwood School and Pacific Military Academy and graduated from Harvard School in 1941. After high school, he worked as a shipping clerk for a candy company, then as a file clerk, bookkeeper and a teller at California Bank in Santa Monica. He was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, earning two Purple Hearts. In 1949, Royce married Carol Aldrich, then graduated from UCLA in 1954 with a degree in education. He taught school in the El Segundo School District for 34 years at the elementary, junior high and high school levels, teaching special education for many of those years. He served on the board of the School District Credit Union for over 30 years. The Chezems moved to the Palisades in 1955; Royce lived in the same house on Arbramar until last year when he experienced some health problems while visiting his daughter in Nampa, Idaho. His children, Jennifer, Emily and Royce III, all attended local schools’Marquez, Paul Revere and Palisades High. Royce, his wife, his two daughters, a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law all graduated from UCLA. Royce and Carol were active in the Palisades chapter of the AFS during the 1970s. The family always attended the town’s annual Fourth of July parade, followed by a family barbecue. He and Carol were married for 48 years at the time of her death in 1997. Royce was a ham radio operator and was active in the Emergency Volunteer Air Corps in Santa Monica, the L.A. County Disaster Communication Service and the Pacific Palisades Disaster Network. He served on the local election board for over 15 years. He enjoyed fishing, camping, crossword puzzles and working with radios, antennas and electronics. He could speak with knowledge on almost any subject. Royce also loved Tabasco sauce, eating barbecued ribs and a good steak. He enjoyed his family, especially spending time with his grandchildren. Although he was in ill health most of the past year, he maintained a positive, optimistic attitude. He had many friends both in Idaho and California who will miss him. He is survived by his two daughters, Jennifer Alban (husband Jack) of Nampa, and Emily Cope (husband Steve) of Colorado Springs; his son Royce III (wife Ronna) of Simi Valley; and grandchildren Dan and David Alban, Marissa and Oren Cope, and Matthew and Michael Chezem. Services were held December 28 at Gates-Kingsley-Gates in Santa Monica.
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