Bryson Douglas Trexler Jr.

Bryson was born on October 29, 1947 on a dairy farm in Wadesboro, NC to Joan Britt Trexler and the late Bryson Douglas Trexler. A proud Eagle Scout, Bryson spent most of his life dedicated to helping others through Scouting, serving as a Scout Master, Camp Instructor, Leader and Volunteer.

Bryson graduated from Asheboro High School, home of the Blue Comets, and played saxophone in the band. Following his father’s footsteps, he attended North Carolina State University and was a passionate fan of Wolfpack athletics. During college, he worked at the McDonald’s on Peace Street, which is where he met Shirley, his wife of forty-two years until her death in February. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at State and went on to earn his Ph.D. in geology at the University of Idaho.

Early in his career, he taught earth science at East Carolina University and had many humorous stories about the time he spent in Greenville, NC. He then travelled and relocated frequently –completing projects in twenty-five states and other locations in Canada and Mexico. He worked for several years at the Kennecott copper mine in Utah. He authored 34 papers on hydrogeology, remediation and geotechnical engineering. After starting their family, he and Shirley put down their roots in Cary, NC, where they had lived since 1984.

He worked at the engineering consulting firm Duncklee & Dunham. He was known as a barbecue aficionado and would travel great distances to visit the best pit masters of the Carolinas. He was an active member of Cary First Baptist and sang in the church choir; he referred to the choir as his second family. He had an extensive collection of rocks, fossils and Native American artifacts.

In addition to his mother, Joan, of Albemarle, NC, Bryson is survived by his daughter Elizabeth and grandbeagles Othello and Desdemona; his son Bryson III and his wife Sandi, and their cat Chunky Buns; his brother Charles and his wife Silvia, and their children and their grandchildren.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, May 14th, 2016, at 1:00 pm, at First Baptist Church of Cary. Visitation will begin at 11:30 am. A committal of ashes and tree planting ceremony will follow at Camp Reeves in Carthage, NC near the old chapel.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Boy Scout Troop #204, C/O Westwood Baptist Church, 200 Westhigh Street, Cary, NC 27513.