John J. Pringle

1935 - 2021

John J. Pringle
August 22, 1935 - October 18, 2021
Chapel Hill, North Carolina - John J. Pringle, 86, of Chapel Hill passed away on October 18th, 2021.
John was born on August 22, 1935 in Columbia, South Carolina, to John Julius "Jack" Pringle and Margaret Gibbes Pringle. As a youth, Johnny began to exhibit the curiosity that would be a hallmark of his life and teaching career. He worked at the Gibbes Machinery Company and saved his money for three years to buy a "Ciro-flex" camera- paying $100 in 1948 for that device and related equipment. He built a darkroom in the basement, complete with enlarger, and developed his own film and prints. He also enlisted the help of his sisters, Ellen and Eve, to prototype and test an electric bug zapper device which he invented.
John spent his early years in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from Episcopal High School in 1952. He received his BEE from Georgia Tech in 1956, an MBA from Harvard University in 1961, and a PhD from Stanford University in 1972.
In 1972, Pringle joined the faculty at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he taught for 36 years and was the C. Knox Massey Professor of Finance. In addition to teaching, Pringle served as the Chair of the Finance area, Associate Dean for International Programs, Faculty Chair of the MBA program, and program director in executive educational programs. In 1989-1990, he was Visiting Professor of Finance at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
His prior professional experience included six years as an executive with NCNB Corporation (now Bank of America), two years as an economist with the RAND Corporation, and three years as an officer in the US Air Force.
John served on the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Finance Committee of Durham Academy; on the Vestry, Finance Committee and Investment Committee of the Chapel of the Cross; on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation; on the Finance Committee of the Orange County Habitat for Humanity; and Chair of the Academic Affairs Division of the United Way Campaign.
In 1961,John had a date to take Elizabeth ("Betsy") Guignard Cate to the Carolina Cup Races in Camden, SC. And so began a 60-year courtship between the two. They were married in 1962.
He devoted his life to teaching, and set himself to the task of making a positive impact on people's lives through learning - whether it was his MBA students at UNC, middle school students through his volunteer work teaching Economics at area schools, or his work with Betsy to teach electricity and magnetism to elementary school students as part of Betsy's "Mini- Activities" program.
His curiosity was relentless, unconfined and lifelong. He sought to learn from the experiences and viewpoints from others, and was quick to ask anyone he encountered about what they did and what they thought. He saw each interaction as a chance to learn from someone, and in the process developed many fast friendships with members across the community of Chapel Hill.
His family is grateful for the many lessons learned, both through counsel and by his example. His service to the community serves as an inspiration. He loved exploring the natural world, whether it be in a sailboat or listening to the calls of birds in the mountains. His devotion to his wife and marriage provided a clear and true example of what it means to be a good husband.
After his retirement, he again turned to his childhood interest in photography. His favorite subjects were birds, insects and the wildflowers of Betsy's garden. He created an exhibit of his work at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in 2015.
In addition to his wife Betsy, Pringle is survived by his sister, Ellen Pringle Read, four children: John Julius Pringle, Jr. of Columbia, SC; Laura Perry Pringle of West Palm Beach, FL; Joseph LeConte Pringle and his wife Elizabeth Montgomery Pringle of Annandale, VA; and Charles Cate Pringle and his wife Anne McPherson Pringle of Birmingham, AL.
John also has eight amazing grandchildren, John Julius Pringle III, Sawyer Thompson Pringle and Lucinda Gunter Pringle of Columbia, SC; Cate Chase Pringle and Evelyn Wren Pringle of Annandale, VA; Elizabeth Cate Pringle, William LeConte Pringle, and Ellen Perry Pringle of Birmingham Alabama.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30pm, Saturday, October 23rd at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, the North Carolina Botanical Garden or Habitat for Humanity.
Online condolences at
CremationSocietyNC.com