Pierre Antoine

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Pierre Antoine, 81, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, distinguished professor and agricultural development practitioner, who passed away peacefully from heart failure at home in Conway, Arkansas on May 19, 2024.

Pierre is preceded in death by his parents, Emile Antoine and Mariette Brasseur Antoine. He is survived by his loving wife, Kim, who he was happily married to since 1980. He will be dearly missed by his children: Pascale, Bernard (Tora), Alexandra-Monique (John) and Anne-Jasmine (Daniel). Pierre's memory will also be cherished by his grandchildren who brought him immense pride: Julien, Cecil, Gabriel-Pierre, Lily-Marie, Pascal-Francois, Emile, Elijah and Ruthie. Pierre is also survived by his brother, Philippe (Francoise), who still resides in Brussels, Belgium.

Born in WWII-occupied Belgium, Pierre completed his master's degree as an engineer of agronomy at the University of Louvain in Belgium. He emigrated to the United States to earn his PhD in soil science from the University of Minnesota and took his first agricultural development post in Rabat, Morocco. This was the launching point of a career dedicated to evolving agricultural productivity in over 40 developing countries, primarily throughout Africa and Indonesia. His work focused on delivering projects for rural communities to improve seed availability, manage soils and provide struggling farmers with access to micro-credit. He travelled globally for over five decades, much of that time as a program leader for WinRock International. After returning to the United States and becoming a U.S. Citizen, Pierre resided first in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then in Conway these last 43 years. He was also adjunct professor at Hendrix University in central Arkansas and co-founder of an international NGO that pursued his passion for helping communities around the world.

Pierre was energetic, with an intelligence that stirred ideas, kept pace with the culture and aroused the curiosity and interest of those around him; he loved his soccer and the Tour de France and was quick to smile and tell funny stories from his varied experiences and his childhood in Wallonia. Punchlines were punctuated by a laugh that was as startling as it was infectious. As a man who loved nature, we will always be in awe of the sweeping landscapes behind him in his travel pictures, the earliest years of which featured a cigarillo invariably perched in the corner of his mouth. Pierre was committed to his family, giving them his time, and if he had to be traveling, not hesitating to bring his wife and children with him across the globe – Morocco, Senegal, DRC and Sumatra to name a few landing spots. These trips with family were his way of providing an aperture on our broader world: its beauty, its graces and its inevitable injustices. He returned to his European roots often, visiting his dearest friends, siblings, nieces and nephews overseas, for which a deep current of loyalty ran. In later years, he expressed his affinity for the natural world by tending to his beloved dogs and his inspiring flowers.

As a man of integrity and kindness, Pierre's legacy will live on through the values and love he instilled in those who knew him well, and through the life improvements for those who benefitted from his dedication to humanitarian ideals.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 1 p.m. at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The American Heart Association in his name, as Pierre would most assuredly have preferred.

Rest in peace, Pierre. We are so proud of your life and your love.