Dr. Cecil Chester Bozarth III, 55, died of natural causes Thursday morning, May 24, 2018, at home in Raleigh, NC. He was born in Falls Church, VA on September 17, 1962 to Cecil Chester Bozarth Jr. and Janet Shriner Bozarth. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Donna Ellison Bozarth. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife of 8 years, Andrea Leigh Irby; sons, Philip Neilson Bozarth and James Andrew Klarevas-Irby; sister, Emily Bozarth Boote and husband, Bradley James Boote, and their children, Christopher and Anna Boote; sister, Catherine Slaughter and daughter, Candace Slaughter McCabe and husband, Glen and their daughter, Isobel; mother-in-law, Alice Joyner Irby; Eugene and Eva Nell Ellison and many aunts and cousins.
Cecil was well-loved by all he met, and a second father to many. He had a big heart that touched everyone from Georgia to NC State to the car show field and beyond. He earned his PhD in Business from UNC – Chapel Hill and worked for NC State’s Poole College of Management for 26 years, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He consulted for various private firms and believed in sharing his knowledge with others to create real and practical solutions.
Cecil was personable and had a quick wit. He restored classic cars to original, out-of-factory condition and showed them with pride, winning many awards and making many friends. He also enjoyed watching his wife Andrea compete in horse shows with a beautiful thoroughbred—a gift from him—and bonding with his “fur-daughter” Gigi. Cecil was fortunate to witness his son Philip's recent graduation from the University of Georgia, and to witness him grow into a fine man led by his example.
He will be remembered for his kindness, humor, and ability to put anyone at ease.
The family will receive friends from 7-9pm on Wednesday, May 30th at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511. A funeral service will be held 5pm Thursday, May 31st at Highland United Methodist Church, 1901 Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607.
Please honor Cecil by driving your classic car and displaying it proudly at either of these times.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children Hospital at www.stjude.org by clicking donate, choosing donate to a memorial fund, and then choosing Cecil Bozarth III Memorial Fund.