Edward R. Higgins PhD

Greensboro, NC: Edward Roy Higgins, PhD, 74, passed away August 12, 2015 with his family by his side. His memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, October 31, 2015 at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and the family will gather with friends following the service in the Haywood Duke Room.

A native of Caribou, Maine, Ed graduated in the class of 1959 at Caribou High School. In 1963 he received a BS degree in Agronomy at the University of Maine and was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He attended Pennsylvania State University where he received a MS degree in Agricultural Science and a PhD degree in Physical Chemistry.

Ed joined the Agricultural Chemicals Division, Geigy Chemical Corporation in 1970 as a R&D Field Research Representative in the Northeast Region. He progressed rapidly through the development stages for a R&D Rep and achieved the coveted title of Senior Scientist. He was active in professional societies and served as President of the Northeastern Weed Science Society.

He moved to the Company Headquarters located in Greensboro, NC in 1987 and joined the department of Technical Sales Service. His wealth of knowledge pertaining to field agricultural practices, associated crop pests and the company products proved a valuable asset in addressing customer’s special situations. He was especially skilled and effective in dealing with customers, product liability claims and always provided excellent product stewardship. He later became Director of this group.

Ed was a person of integrity, a competent scientist, a true professional, respected by his colleagues and had many positive relationships with university co-operators and the company’s customers. He made many contributions to the success of the company. He retired from the company in 2001 and continued to work as a part-time consultant for several years.

With a fine sense of humor, Ed always shared a broad smile and greeted people with a hearty handshake or a hug. Company colleagues often referred to Ed as a “best friend” “jolly guy”, “one of a kind” and “full of his own brand of wit”.

He will be dearly missed by his many friends and colleagues in Ciba-Geigy, Novartis and Syngenta.

Ed enjoyed landscaping, carpentering, traveling, boating, participating in community programs, University of Maine and Penn State sports and spending time with the people he loved.

Preceding him in death were his mother, Ruth Libby Higgins and father, Clyde Elwin Higgins.

Ed is survived by his wife, Janet L. Dinsmore; daughter: Kari Higgins Rowley and son-in-law, Robert G. Rowley and grandchildren, Sydney M. Rowley, Alec R. Rowley, Thomas H. Rowley, all from Seneca Falls, N.Y.; son, Kevin E. Higgins, and daughter-in-law, LaLannie M. Ovenshire, and grandchildren, Brandyn T. Higgins, Bethany M. Ovenshire, all from Waterloo, N.Y.; sister, Barbara Walker and brother in-law, James V. Walker, from Eugene, Or.; nephews, James H. Walker from Austin, TX., Kent E. Walker from Portland , Oregon; sister-in-law, Diane Allen, Brother-in-law, Don Allen from Madison, Ct.; and niece, Christina (Tina) Allen, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Bicentennial Gardens, Edward R. Higgins Memorial Fund, 1001Fourth St, Greensboro, NC 27407; or to the Greensboro Civitan Club, % Dr. Albert Lochra, 300 Miltwood Dr., Greensboro, NC 27455.