Ned Trivette, former vice chancellor of business affairs for Appalachian State University, passed away Friday at the age of 81.

Trivette graduated from Appalachian in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in business. He was named director of business affairs in 1964, then later named vice chancellor, a position in which he served until 1990.

Some of Trivette’s recognitions at Appalachian include receiving Appalachian’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1979, being named vice chancellor of business affairs emeritus after retirement and the naming of Trivette Dining Hall in honor of he and his wife Maxine in 1991.

Betsy Payne, university budget director and a former colleague of Trivette, said he was present at Appalachian during a period of large growth for the university.

“He was even hired by D.D. Dougherty, who was one of the university’s founding fathers,” Payne said. “We did go through a lot of growth in student population during the time that he was here and we became a university instead of Appalachian State Teachers’ College.

Payne said Trivette was highly community-minded and worked with the town.

“He was always a very congenial person, he never met a stranger,” Payne said. “He was very friendly, he got along with the staff and faculty. I worked with him for a number of years.”

Payne said Trivette’s job was to oversee many aspects of the university, including the physical plant, university police, the cashier’s office, the controller’s office and the budget office.

Trivette is survived by one sister, one son, one daughter, two nieces, one nephew and six granddaughters.

Story: Nicole Caporaso