Royal Loven

Royal Loven, 81 year old resident of Swanville, MN passed away Sunday, July 27, 2026 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, July 31, 2026 at the Con Natvig Field in Swanville, MN with Rev. Tim Sumner officiating. Burial will take place in the Springbrook Cemetery in Swanville, MN. A visitation will be held from 4-7 P.M. on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at the Swanville Lions Park in Swanville, MN and from 1:00-2:00 P.M. on Friday, July 31, 2026 at the Con Natvig Field in Swanville, MN. Caring for Royal and his family is the LeMieur Funeral Home in Swanville, MN. Royal was born on April 25, 1945, in Seattle, Washington, to the late Raymond and Delila (Johnson) Loven. He grew up in Swanville, Minnesota, where he attended school and graduated from Swanville High School with the Class of 1963. On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1966, Royal was united in marriage to the love of his life, Sandee Tabatt, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls, Minnesota. Together they built a life centered on family, hard work, and service to their community. Royal began working alongside his parents at Loven's Auto Center in Swanville and proudly purchased the business from them in 1983. For many years he owned and operated the station with his wife, Sandee, and later his son, Jay. In 2016, he proudly passed the business on to Jay, continuing the family tradition. Although ownership changed hands, Royal's passion for the station never faded. He continued coming to the shop nearly every day, right up until the time of his passing, enjoying the opportunity to visit with customers and lend a helping hand. He genuinely loved caring for the people who walked through the doors and treasured the friendships he built over the years. A lifelong advocate for his hometown, Royal was deeply committed to the Swanville community and took great pride in helping it grow and prosper. He was a dedicated member of the Swanville Lions Club for an incredible 60 years and faithfully served as Mayor of Swanville from 1974 until 1988. In 1987, he co-founded Swanville Dollars for Scholars and remained an enthusiastic supporter of education. He also served on the Innovative Classroom Project, helping raise funds so teachers could purchase classroom materials and enhance learning opportunities for students. Royal was especially passionate about Swanville School and believed deeply in investing in future generations. Above all else, Royal's greatest joy was his family and the service station that had been such an important part of his life for decades. He rarely ventured far from the place he loved, where he found purpose in his work and joy in visiting with friends, neighbors, and customers. His kindness, generosity, unwavering work ethic, and commitment to his community left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. Royal was greatly loved and will be deeply and dearly missed by his family, friends, customers, and the Swanville community he so faithfully served. Royal is survived by sons, Kyle (Kari) Loven of Fort Meyer, FL and Jay (Heidi) Loven of Swanville, MN; sister, Amber Brown of Little Falls, MN; grandchildren, Alexis Loven, Kelsey (Jordan) Sales, Carter (Tayiah) Loven and Kameron Loven; great-grandchildren, Ayla, Henry, JJ, and Sandee and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents, Raymond and Delila Loven; wife, Sandee Loven.

Tributes

Royal Loven

April 25, 1945 - July 26, 2026