Carol Starnes Vercaemert

Carol Starnes Vercaemert, born Joan Carol Starnes in Charlotte, NC was raised in a loving Christian home. Her family’s active participation at Thomasboro Presbyterian Church formed an unwavering belief in Carol that there is always both a spiritual and a scientific reason for everything. In 1981, she married Philippe Vercaemert, her high school classmate and friend. She was so proud of their only son, Nathan, born in 1992 and often said that having and raising Nathan might have been the most important thing she did.

Carol was a woman of faith who lived life trying to glorify Jesus. She was a loving, caring and devoted mother, a soulmate and helpmate to her husband, a dedicated daughter, and a loyal friend to many. As one of her good friends put it, Carol was “the one who always showed up with the casserole on time when it was needed.” She loved music, from traditional hymns in church to Jimi Hendrix. She had great math skills, enjoyed numbers. She was perceptive, always attentive to detail. She and her husband took up golf after retirement. They both enjoyed it so much that they chose to move to a golf community in Leland, NC.

She began her college education as a Home Economics major at UNCG and transferred to NCSU in her sophomore year. She still managed to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering three years later, graduating at the top of the class. She was the only female in that class, a testament to her pioneering spirit. Her professional career began at Westinghouse in engineering in the nuclear industry. She transitioned to product planning in the telecommunications world at Western Electric, AT&T, Bell Labs, eventually Lucent. She ran several small to medium sized businesses within this extremely large company. Decades later, the dollars she managed would still be called “boot shaking” numbers. She earned an executive Master of Business Administration degree at Northeastern University during this time. She had a fun career and always advised people to enjoy their work.

Carol was generous without showing it to the world. She was a Life Member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Fraternity and a Sustainer in the Junior League of Greensboro. She was active at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, volunteered for many organizations including Greensboro Urban Ministry and Greensboro Day School. She attended many bible studies and led a ladies’ bible study for several years. She supported the NCSU College of Engineering, the Alumni Association and the Wolfpack Club. She served on the Advisory Board for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, culminating in four years as Vice Chair, then Chair. She was inducted into the NCSU Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame in 2017.

After a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, she joined her Lord and Savior. She was predeceased by her parents, Jewell and Vance Starnes, and is survived by her husband of 45 years, Philippe and their son Nathan. Her life will be celebrated in a service at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, 125 South Third Street in Wilmington, NC on Sunday October 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, Carol would be most honored by a gift to either ICM (International Cooperating Ministries, icm.org) or any organization or your choice that glorifies her Lord Jesus Christ