Charles Fredrick "Fred" Sargent

Charles "Fred" Fredrick Sargent, 89, died Friday, January 12, 2007.

He was born March 12, 1918, in a small town in Ohio.

He is survived by his second wife, Marjorie Frame Sargent; and one brother, Robert Sargent, who resides in the Charlottesville area; three nieces, Suzanna Turner, Vicki Morgan, married with three children, and Jane Quinn, married with four children; his first wife, Martha; her daughter, Judy Beck; two grandchildren, Emily and Douglas; and three great-grandchildren.

His sister, Sally Turner, preceded him in death.

A graduate of Philips Andover Academy, Fred received a B.S. degree in 1940, and a M.S. degree in chemistry engineering in 1941, from the Engineering School of MIT.

Fred served in World War II as second lieutenant, and later as a captain, in the United States Army, stationed at Puerto Rico, then later at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

Following Fred's service in the Army, Celanese Corporation employed him as a chemical engineer from 1946 until 1957. During these years, Fred solved design problems that had closed down production of two new Celanese plants. He turned down an offer to join a select group of employees being groomed for top management posts to attend the University of Virginia Darden Business graduate school in Charlottesville. At Darden as a student, he had the highest grade point average until the date that Darden stopped computing grade point averages for MBAs.

After earning his MBA, Fred served as a Darden faculty member from 1961 until his retirement as Chairman of Darden's Finance department, at age 70, in 1987. The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted him Emeritus Professor. Fred's retirement years were spent breeding and racing horses.

Fred was always known for his brilliant mind and his ability to cut quickly to the core of a problem and resolve it. Quietly, with great humility, he was a great humanitarian.

A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2007, at Teague Funeral Home, 2260 Ivy Road, Charlottesville.

The family would like to especially thank the many kind people at Hospice of the Piedmont for taking good care of Fred in his final days at Winterhaven Assisted Living for Senior Citizens on Pantops Mountain in Charlottesville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Ivy Creek Foundation, P.O. Box 956, Charlottesville, VA 22902 or the Blue Ridge School (a private boy's school), 273 Mayo Drive, St. George, VA 22935.