William Holden Round

William Holden Round, formerly of Lynnfield, MA and most recently of Stoneham, died early Friday February 5, 2021.  He was 93. He had been a resident of The Fuller House in Stoneham since November of 2019.  He had resided in Lynnfield, with his wife Olive G. Round since 1976.  They had previously lived on Hillside Avenue in Melrose. Olive Round died in 1986.  Mr Round never remarried.

Mr. Round is survived by his four sons, William Herbert & wife Karin (MacDonald), Mark & wife Margaret (Campbell), Bruce & wife Kimberlee (Morse), and Winslow and seven grandchildren.

Mr. Round was born in Greenwood, MA in 1927 to John Jay and Bertha Holden Round. He was the last survivor from his four siblings.

Mr. Round was said to be both mischievous and industrious as a youth.  He fished and hunted in the wooded areas of Greenwood and Wakefield. During his teenage years he worked odd jobs in Wakefield including tending a steam engine at a cleaning company and sales work at a Wakefield hardware store. He harvested and sold Christmas trees.  His father, owner of J.S. Round and Company Jewelers on Washington St., Boston, eventually brought him to the Jewelry store to learn a trade and the finer points of retailing, so that he would be able to support himself.  Mr. Round trained as a watch maker and spent a few years at the bench further honing his mechanical skills. He developed the patience required to do precision work and did it well.

He joined the Navy after WWII as an able seaman and watchmaker's mate aboard ship. He then made use of his old jewelry store sales skills and joined American Supply in Worcester, where he sold furniture and household goods.

Mr. Round met his wife Olive Geddis through her friendship with his sister. They started their family and suburban life. Mrs. Round encouraged her husband to enroll in the business program at Boston University. He graduated in 1960.

Mrs. Round learned of a small hardware store for sale in Melrose, Massachusetts while talking with a neighbor.  Mr. Round saw the opportunity and bought the store, beginning a sixty-year run in the hardware business. It was a one-person operation next to a grocery store in Melrose Highlands.  The first of Mr. Round's basset hounds would meet him at the store each morning. The first store was burned out in 1965.  He found another one in Stoneham next to the fire station.  After two years, the location failed to thrive.  The problem was solved by his purchase of another hardware store with more visibility on Main Street. Mr. Round bought the store along with the building.  There he stayed until 1980. The signature struggle in Mr. Round's career was his purchase of the current location of Round's True Value Hardware in Stoneham.  He bought the building from the Town of Stoneham and worked with his sons to completely renovate it.  The acquisition was difficult and the late 70's economy was not a help.  The building was finished behind schedule, but it was the right store at the right time and place. It was successful and operates to this day.

Mr. Round made an annual trip to Alaska to fish the salmon streams, but he also fished in New England,  the Pacific Northwest, and in Canada.

Mr Round finally hit an age and condition where travel was troublesome.  He started his business life in a little hardware store where window and screen repair work kept the cash flowing and the business alive.  He ended his business career doing windows and screens to help the boys out, but also to keep moving and working, surrounded by family, friends, and employees.  At 91, he could no longer spend time at the work bench.  He put down his tools and materials at the hardware store and took up residence at the Fuller House in Stoneham.

William Holden Round, retailer, fisherman, mechanic, local character, owner of unruly basset hounds and cluttered hardware stores, the mayor of the fastener aisle at Round's True Value Hardware, died peacefully on February 5, 2021.

A graveside service for family members was held at Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield by the family lot.

In lieu of flowers or other acknowledgments, please consider a donation to The Fuller House, 32
Franklin Street, Stoneham, MA 02180.  A memorial service will be held at Saint Paul's Church in Lynnfield at some later date once the Covid situation has calmed down.