Royce Abbey

Albert Henry Royce Abbey, (8 June 1922 – 20 February 2014) was an Australian businessman who was President of Rotary International from 1988 to 1989.

Career Royce Abbey was educated at state primary and secondary schools in Footscray, Victoria. When he left school in his mid-teens he worked as a shoeshine boy and messenger at a shoe shop and then in a real estate agency. In 1941, he enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force for service in the Second World War and was deployed to New Guinea and New Britain. He was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery and leadership during fighting. He was later commissioned as a lieutenant.

After the war, Abbey joined his brother in a family-owned window shades manufacturing business, Dural Leeds, which was later taken over by the multinational company Hunter Douglas. After five years as marketing director for Hunter Douglas, he established his own business, Abbey Marketing. In 1988–89 he became President of Rotary International. His time as president included the continued development of the Polio Plus campaign for Poliomyelitis eradication and the re-establishment of Rotary Clubs in countries from the former Soviet Union.

Honours Royce Abbey received the following honours: The Royce and Jean Abbey Endowed Fund and the Vocational Scholarship were established by Rotary to finance agricultural and related scholarships that would assist the less-developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Australian Rotary Health has named the Royce Abbey Postdoctoral Fellowship in his honour.