Charles W. Averre, III

June 03, 1932 - February 09, 2019

Raleigh

Charles W. Averre, III, 86, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday. Charles was born in Castilla, Honduras, where his father worked with the United Fruit Company as a civil engineer, but he spent most of his childhood in San Jose, Costa Rica. He attended high school in the United States at Christ School in Arden, NC, and went on to graduate from NC State in 1956 with a BS in botany. Starting in 1956, he served two years in the Army, primarily at Ft. Belvoir, VA. After honorable discharge, he returned to NC State, and later, Purdue University in Indiana, to study plant pathology. He received his doctorate from Purdue in 1963. After brief stints at the University of Florida in Homestead and the University of Georgia in Griffin, he returned to NC State in 1968 as an Extension Plant Pathologist on vegetable crops. In 1995, he retired as Professor Emeritus.

While at NC State, Charles was instrumental in developing the Sweet Potato and Strawberry Certification programs to deliver to growers true-to-type planting stocks that are free from disease. He co-authored three textbooks on plant pathology and had numerous other publications including book chapters and both peer-reviewed and popular articles. He received many professional honors and awards, and in 2017 was honored to have a new sweet potato variety, developed by plant breeders at NC State, named after him.

Charles' interest in science extended beyond his professional life. He loved forestry and enjoyed tending to his timber land in Sampson County, where he could tinker to his heart's content on a variety of projects. He had a lifelong curiosity about the world around him, and even in failing health was a keen observer and questioner of the natural world around him.

His passion for education and mentorship was evident even outside of his university responsibilities. He donated funds to create the Lincoln Founders Scholarship Fund at the Lincoln School in San Jose, Costa Rica. The school was founded in 1945 by a group of visionary parents, including his own, Margaret and Charles W. Averre, Jr., and is "dedicated to motivating students to fully develop their potential, with solid ethical values, committed to democracy and capable of being successful in a multicultural, global society." Closer to home, he provided a generous donation to the NC chapter of the Knights of the Vine's Viticulture and Enology Scholarship Fund (now called the Charles Averre Scholarship) to support programs at Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, NC, and Surry Community College in Dobson, NC, ensuring the long-term financial viability of the fund.

A lifelong animal lover, Charles especially loved dogs, and he enjoyed final visits from his dog buddy Paco and family cat Malfred the day before he passed away.

He is survived by his son Chuck Averre and wife Patty of Wake Forest, NC; daughter Alice Turner and husband Patrick of Cary, NC; grandsons Phillip and Curtis Averre, both of Raleigh, NC; granddaughter Michelle Kinsman and husband Michael of Charlotte, NC; brother Bill Averre and wife Adele Holevas of Indianapolis, IN; and five nieces and nephews and their families. He is pre-deceased by his wife Joanne Brooks Averre.

A celebration of Charles' life will be held in the coming weeks.