Roy Frank Privett, 97, passed away at Rivercrest in Concord, MA on November 7, 2023.

Roy was born in London, England on January 23, 1926. As a teenager during World War II, Roy was a member of the Junior RAF Corps and the University of London Training Corps.

At age seventeen, Roy enrolled at Kings College in London, from which he earned both his bachelor's in physics and a master's in mathematics. He leveraged his academic success to become a communications engineer, working at GE and STL Labs in England, at Marconi in Canada, and at RCA and ITT in the United States. Roy's professional accomplishments include collaborative work on the first intercity television link in the UK and on the Trans-Canada TV system. He also co-developed the equipment in a Trans-USA data system for Western Union and led the creation of the world's first all-solid-state microwave system.

Roy was married to Hazel Robinson for more than fifty years until the time of her passing in 2009. They followed Roy's career to Montréal, Québec, to South Jersey, eventually back to England, and again to South Jersey. After Hazel's passing, Roy moved to Youville House near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. In addition to his professional achievements in engineering, Roy was an avid tennis player, a lifetime member of the IEEE, and a volunteer at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. A lifelong jazz fan, he delighted audiences by singing at Ryles Jazz Club in Inman Square and at monthly performances for his friends at Youville.

Roy is predeceased by his parents, Sydney Frank Privett and Edith Matilda Bull Privett of London, England. He is survived by two children, Donald Privett (Beverley Wilson) of New York, NY, and Helen Privett (Maria Vetrano) of Woburn, Mass., as well as by three grandchildren, Ashley Privett (Tim Gargiulo) of Brooklyn, NY, Ian Privett of New York, NY and Stella Privett of Chelmsford, Mass.

Roy's family offers a very special thank you to the wonderful and caring staff at Rivercrest in Concord, Mass., who treated Roy with compassion and consideration—and with whom he traded humorous stories and witty banter during his residence there.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial gathering at Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center on Saturday, December 2nd at 10 am, with a time of remembrance beginning at 10:30 am. Please click here to view the video recording of Roy's service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to WGBH or to Doctors without Borders .

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.