Blanche Allbritton Royall Gore

Blanche Allbritton Royall Gore, 96, of Round Top died- Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. Blanche was born on March 3, 1921 in Houston. She grew up working in the business founded in 1906 by her parents, Luther and Lois Allbritton, Allbritton’s Cafeterias (1906-1996). She attended Austin High School. She married Richard Royster Royall, Jr., in 1940, and they had one son, Richard Royster Royall III. Richard Royster Royall, Jr., a star football player for Rice University, was reported missing in action during the battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942. During and after the war she studied at Texas Women’s University in Denton and at the University of Texas at Austin where she received a B.S. and an M.S. degree. Blanche married William F. Gore, a Texas Ranger and bodyguard to both Governors Coke and Jester. Governor and Mrs. Jester hosted the Gore’s wedding reception at the Texas Governor’s Mansion. Following her marriage in 1947, she accepted a teaching position in the Home Economics Department at the University of Houston. She became Chairman of the Home Economics Department and taught until her retirement in 1977. She was devoted to her students at the University but still found time to become one of Houston’s foremost hostesses. After she retired, she developed nutrition recipes for Allbritton’s Cafeterias, consulted for the Round Top Festival Institute and devotedly cared for her beloved husband, Bill, who died in 1998. For the next nine years she split her time between Houston and Round Top, where her son, Richard, works as the Founding Managing Director of the Round Top Festival Institute. She became an avid supporter and friend of the Round Top Festival Institute. In 2006 she decided to build a permanent home and live full time on the campus of the Festival Institute with her son, Richard “Roy” and her Festival Hill family. Throughout her life she enjoyed her family, nutrition and food service, flying planes, travel, playing the piano, needlepoint, tennis, ice skating, card games, dominoes and feeding and watching birds. She is survived by her son Richard “Roy” Royall; three sisters-in-law, Sophie Allbritton, Elsie Allbritton, and Ann Kennerly Royall; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and other loving family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her two husbands; her brother, Sonny Allbritton and his wife, Ollie; her brothers, Ennie Allbritton and Donald Allbritton and her brother- in-law, Robert L. Royall. Visitation was held on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 from 12 to 7 p.m. at Koenig & Strickland Funeral Home. Family receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Graveside services will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 at 1 p.m. at Forest Park Lawndale in Houston. Interment will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her memory may be directed to the Blanche A. Gore Scholarship Fund, Round Top Festival Institute, Post Office Box 89, Round Top, Texas 78954. Family and friends can view and sign the guestbook online at www.lagrangefunerals.com. Koenig & Strickland Funeral Home in La Grange is in charge of arrangements.