Roy J. Halstead ’62

Roy J. Halstead ’62 passed away on November 28, 2020, with his wife, Gabriele, at his side at a hospital in Brussels, Belgium, after suffering a heart attack. Roy arrived on the Hanover Plain from Mamaroneck, New York, in 1958. After struggling academically his freshman year, Roy took Thad Seymour’s wise counsel. “One year off and a change of major (from engineering to economics) were all I needed,” wrote Roy in our 50th reunion book. A Gamma Delt, Roy’s favorite activities at Dartmouth included ice hockey, sailing, and house parties. After graduation in 1963 Roy worked on an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago until he was hired by IBM. In 1968 Roy moved to Brussels to manage his father’s office, a consulting firm specializing in “the building of the American supermarket in Europe,” he said. Beginning in 1975 Roy pioneered many supermarket industry innovations in Europe, introducing “Just in Time” inventory management and ongoing food-quality improvements to supermarket chains and restaurants. He also brought European know-how to U.S. supermarkets: croissants, good breads, in-store freshly prepared foods, and a market look. In 1979 he met his second wife, Gabriele. “My life has never been the same since. Every day is a wonderful, loving experience,” he said in 2012. The couple spent the remainder of Roy’s life in Brussels, summering at their home in Corsica, traveling extensively for business and pleasure, regularly attending class reunions and trips, and visiting Roy’s children, Libby and Ted.