Mr. Benjamin Robinson Huske, III

Benjamin Robinson Huske III, formerly of Fayetteville and presently Charlotte, passed away peacefully at age 91 on September 26, 2015.  He was deeply loved by all, and will be remembered for his numerous contributions to his family, church, profession, and community.  

He was born in Fayetteville, NC, on May 9, 1924, and grew up on Hale Street.  He graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1941.  After two years of college at the Citadel and Cornell University, he entered the U.S. Army as an officer, serving his country in World War II as a Combat Engineer in Germany.  After the war, he continued to serve in Germany for another year, leading efforts to build housing for refugees and those who lost their homes in the war.  Upon his discharge from the Army in 1946, he returned to Cornell to complete his Engineering degree, graduating in 1948.  That same year, he married Mary Lou Stack Huske.  They lived in Charlotte and Greensboro before settling in Fayetteville in 1954.  There he co-founded Hercules Steel Company with his brother-in-law, Morehead Stack.  From 1962-70 he led the family hardware business, Huske Hardware House.  

In 1970, he returned fulltime to structural engineering, founding Ben R. Huske & Associates PA, later Huske, Leggett & Associates PA, where he designed structures large and complex such as the agri-expo center in Fayetteville, now the Crown Complex, and schools, military buildings, and churches.  He also enjoyed bringing his professional expertise to the restoration of historic buildings.  He had a passion for engineering, understanding the physics and mathematics of building integrity, and for designing structures that would be practical and sustainable.

Throughout his life, he gave generously of his time, talent, skill, and energy to many community and Christian organizations.  He held leadership positions in the Consulting Engineers Council, where he served as president 1977-1978.  He advised on community building projects such as the pedestrian bridge in Cross Creek Linear Park.  He served as a deacon and elder at Highland Presbyterian Church, and founded the Operation Christmas Child shoe-box effort in southeast North Carolina.  He and Mary Lou accompanied Franklin Graham on several mission trips with Operation Christmas Child.  In his late 70s, he volunteered his engineering skills in Bosnia to rebuild housing after the civil war and in Fayetteville for the Hay-Branson Community Center.  In 2008, Ben and Mary Lou moved to Aldersgate Retirement Community in Charlotte where they had many close friends.

He will be greatly missed by family and friends.  He is predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Mary Lou Stack Huske. He is survived by two daughters, Hannah McNeill Huske Wilson (Dr. Bryan Hadley Wilson) of Charlotte and Mary Starr “Molly” Huske Wade (The Reverend Stephen Hamel Wade) of Middleburg, VA; seven grandchildren, Kathryn Gray Wilson, Hannah Starr Wilson, Sarah Bryan “Sallie” Wilson, Hadley Huske Wilson; and Jessica Lynn Wade, Wendy Lynn Wade, and Susannah Eastlake Wade Lewis; two great-grandchildren, Trevor Leo Howard and Owen Lee Howard; and nieces Elizabeth McNeill “Neill” Stack Legg and Jane Rachel Stack Anderson.  

The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to Dr. George Hart, Dr. John Lacouture, and Dr. Samuel Zimmern; the Wellness Clinic at Aldersgate Retirement Community; and Elizabeth Grant, CNA, Darlene Dunston, CNA, and the staff of SeniorBridge Charlotte.  

Services will be on Friday, October 9, 2015 with burial at 1pm at Cross Creek Cemetery, and a memorial service at 2pm at Highland Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, NC.  The family will greet friends after the service in the Fellowship Hall of the church.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Operation Christmas Child (c/o Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607, 828.262.1980) or online at http://bit.ly/SamsPurse-BenHuske

Arrangements are in the care of Sullivan’s Highland Funeral Services of Fayetteville.