Eugene Carson Jr.

1939 - 2023

Eugene Watson Carson, Jr. died November 24, 2023. He was born in Appomattox on March 27, 1939. He married his true love Frances Carson on September 10, 1960. They had three children and earned three degrees in their first three years of marriage, a testament to what a young couple can accomplish when they love, inspire, and support one another.

Gene had a keen curiosity to understand everything around him, from the crops his family farmed for decades to new digital technological innovations he watched take hold in our world. As a teenager, he wired his parents' home for electricity as a 4-H project. Gene attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) and earned a degree in Agronomy while serving as a member of the Corps of Cadets. He earned his doctorate in Soil Science (Biochemistry) from North Carolina State University. Gene returned to Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech Agronomy department where he served as Professor of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences for thirty years and was a member of Tech's Academy of Teaching Excellence. A lifelong learner, Gene taught himself several computer languages and as Associate Provost at Virginia Tech, he computerized the Registrar's Office.

A dedicated mentor to graduate and undergraduate students, Gene nurtured new generations of agronomists and soil scientists. He was especially encouraging of international students navigating a new language and culture in addition to rigorous coursework, opening his home to those seeking a meal or a place to stay. He also taught IT courses at Radford University, training students in a brand new field. He served on the board of directors for the International Baccalaureate North America for twelve years and was the International Chief Examiner for Information Technology in a Global Society for the IB.

Gene loved to be outdoors and enjoyed summers backpacking and camping in Colorado, teaching his family to appreciate the flora and fauna around them. He loved the Blue Ridge Mountains year-round, admiring the dogwood, redbud, and mountain laurel blooms that marked home for him. Gene was a talented woodworker and gifted everything he designed and made. An avid proponent of recycling, he was known for his ability to turn found objects into gorgeous furniture. As infants, his grandchildren slept in Gene-crafted wooden cradles and one even locked with a brass rod from a discarded VT library card catalogue.

He was involved in many local ventures related to philanthropy, music, or arts. He was a charter member of Friends of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech and volunteered with any initiative that expanded public programming and education in the arts. Gene worked towards the goal of making music accessible to all as a founding member and president of the New River Valley Friends of the Roanoke Symphony and through his volunteer work with the Blacksburg Master Chorale. He enjoyed classical music and was also a big fan of Willie Nelson. He was a member of the Blacksburg Baptist Church and served as deacon there.

After Fran died, Gene remarried. Following their wedding in 2000, Gene and his second wife, Karen Sirgy Carson, began to spend time in Florida. Gene spent the last years of his life in St. Pete Beach where he watched shore birds, admired sunsets, and learned to kayak in the coastal waters.

Gene is preceded in death by his parents Eugene and Ruth Carson; his brother, Dan Carson; and wife, Frances Carson. He is also predeceased by Karen Sirgy Carson. Gene leaves to cherish his memory his three daughters: Glenell Peterson, Mildred Carson, and Lynn Harris; and nine grandchildren: Emily Metcalf, Eric Peterson, Duncan Harris, Irene Newman, Martin Harris, Carson Newman, Sarah Shipley, Frances Newman, and Phoebe Harris. He is survived by nine great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Warm Hearth Foundation, 2607 Warm Hearth Drive, No. 100, Blacksburg, Va. 24060.