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Bruce Poulton Obituary
March 7, 1927 ~ June 19, 2015
Raleigh
Former Chancellor and Professor Emeritus Dr. Bruce R. Poulton, 88, of Raleigh, passed away Friday June 19, 2015 at his residence.
A time of visitation will be held from 5-7 pm Wednesday June 24, 2015 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home 300 Saint Mary's St. Raleigh, where a Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday June, 25.
www.brownwynne.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Bruce Poulton
Gerry Palmer
June 24, 2015
Dr. Poulton was instrumental in my receiving my diploma at the University of Maine in 1970. He made himself available to this lowly undergraduate student and offered encouragement and positive advice to help get me to the finish line.
He was a gentleman, bright, methodical, and always trying to bring out the best in others including me.
He will be greatly missed and my sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.
He was truly one of a kind, a great person.
Gerry Palmer
Bangor
Paul McGuire
June 23, 2015
Randy, Jeff, Cindy, and Peter,
I am one of the McGuire family who lived two houses up the street from you when you lived in Orono, Maine. I remember that my parents, Nick and June, were very good friends of your parents during that time. That friendship didn't hurt my being able to find summer employment at the Animal Sciences Department in 1965 and 1966, where your father was head of the department. We all understood he was destined for even greater things. Strangely, your dad has been on my mind the past two weeks after I discovered we've been living six houses away from Nora and Fred Karsch here in Ann Arbor for the past 37 years; Fred was one of your dad's graduate students during those two summers. Stranger, my brother Steve (whom you probably knew) sent me a link to your dad's obituary in the Bangor Daily News this morning and as I paged through the list I came across the obituary of Helen Foss, your dad's secretary and "guardian of the gate" during those same years. (Helen lived across the street from us on University Place.) One of the many unexplainable coincidences of life, I guess. May I offer you the heartfelt sympathies of the McGuire "children." Your mom and dad were both one of a kind.
Paul McGuire
[email protected]
Joan Shapleigh
June 23, 2015
I didn'the know your father nor have I seen you in years but I want to acknowledge his passing. I send my condolences to you and Deb.
Steve Washburn
June 22, 2015
Bruce was Chancellor here as I started my career at NC State in 1986. I also enjoyed playing golf with Betty at the Faculty (now University) Club. I trust that family members will find comfort in many treasured memories.
Ritch Wardwell
June 22, 2015
Randy
I was sadded to read of your father's passing. I know so well the void that is left with such a loss.
My best to you and your family during this difficult period.
Cathy Crossland
June 21, 2015
I consider one of the great privileges in my life to have known Bruce Poulton from the time he became the Chancellor of North Carolina State University in 1982 until the very end of his remarkable life last week. Bruce was a towering man with an expansive mind and an encompassing personality who embraced the mandates of leadership to inspire, challenge, encourage and sometimes even force people to move towards the future. Without his rigorous leadership, the University would not be where it is now, with a Centennial Campus that is the envy of our peers around the country and world. It was he who negotiated the arduous process of securing the land where that campus is now located. It was he who coined the term Centennial Campus to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the University. It was he who saw the feasibility of creating a new entity where public and private interests would co-exist for the benefit of our citizens, students, faculty and staff. His legacy is imprinted with every footstep anyone makes on either one of our campuses. Betty and Bruce Poulton traveled as a team, in the good times and in the bad times. They were selflessly devoted to the institution in which I am proud to be faculty member. It was my honor to be head of the last academic department in which Bruce completed his service to NC State as the Director of the Literacy Systems Center. It was an even greater honor to spend time with him after he retired, engaged in far ranging discussions (from the intricacies of breeding cows to his favorite opera librettos to proper kayaking strokes and braces) that could go on for hours. He was a man with endless curiosity, dogmatic opinions, wry humor and impeccable memory. He was consistently brilliant and occasionally blustery; the combination of these traits could leave one exhilarated, exasperated and exhausted. He could also be supportive, sensitive and compassionate when least expected and most needed. I shall be eternally grateful to Bruce Poulton for making NC State the place where I wanted to spend my career. I shall miss him until the final minutes of my life. Betty and Bruce can, at last, return together in peace to Maine, the one place that brought them so much sustained happiness.
The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe, whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets, and try their effect on our humanity. Only daring and insolent men, perchance, go there. The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau.
With love and respect,
Cathy Crossland
Professor
lucie Rouse Hunter Saylor
June 21, 2015
I worked with Bruce and Betty when they came to NCState in 1980 as their Catering Director. They were a joy to work with and I will hold fond memories of our years together particularly the time he called to say he found my diamond ring on the window sill in the kitchen of the Chancellor's residence. Blessings to all the family.
Jim Hackney
June 21, 2015
Bruce Poulton was a giant among men, in more ways than one. I served as Board Chairman at NCSU during his chancellorship, and I know first-hand how much his vision and leadership set the stage for much of the achievement that NCSU now celebrates. Most notable is the Centennial Campus; without Bruce Poulton, there would be no Centennial Campus. He was the force behind its acquisition, master plan and early development. I had the utmost respect and affection for Bruce, and I grieve his loss.
Clauston Jenkins
June 21, 2015
Bruce Poulton did a great deal to advance NC State as a research university. He merits our thanks and respect for what he did for the institution.
Cathy Crossland
June 21, 2015
I consider one of the great privileges in my life to have known Bruce Poulton from the time he became the Chancellor of North Carolina State University in 1982 until the very end of his remarkable life last week. Bruce was a towering man with an expansive mind and an encompassing personality who embraced the mandates of leadership to inspire, challenge, encourage and sometimes even force people to move towards the future. Without his rigorous leadership, the University would not be where it is now, with a Centennial Campus that is the envy of our peers around the country and world. It was he who negotiated the arduous process of securing the land where that campus is now located. It was he who coined the term Centennial Campus to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the University. It was he who saw the feasibility of creating a new entity where public and private interests would co-exist for the benefit of our citizens, students, faculty and staff. His legacy is imprinted with every footstep anyone makes on either one of our campuses. Betty and Bruce Poulton traveled as a team, in the good times and in the bad times. They were selflessly devoted to the institution in which I am proud to be faculty member. It was my honor to be head of the last academic department in which Bruce completed his service to NC State as the Director of the Literacy Systems Center. It was an even greater honor to spend time with him after he retired, engaged in far ranging discussions (from the intricacies of breeding cows to his favorite opera librettos to proper kayaking strokes and braces) that could go on for hours. He was a man with endless curiosity, dogmatic opinions, wry humor and impeccable memory. He was consistently brilliant and occasionally blustery; the combination of these traits could leave one exhilarated, exasperated and exhausted. He could also be supportive, sensitive and compassionate when least expected and most needed. I shall be eternally grateful to Bruce Poulton for making NC State the place where I wanted to spend my career. I shall miss him until the final minutes of my life. Betty and Bruce can, at last, return together in peace to Maine, the one place that brought them so much sustained happiness.
The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe, whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets, and try their effect on our humanity. Only daring and insolent men, perchance, go there. The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau.
With love and respect,
Cathy Crossland
Professor
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