Darrell Vance Menscer

Darrell Vance Menscer, 91, died April 28, 2026, at Carolina Village in Hendersonville, NC.

Darrell lived a life marked by service, leadership, engineering excellence, and deep devotion to family, education, and community. He was born in Statesville, NC, the fourth of five children of Clinton and Myrtle Menscer. After serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1956, Darrell earned a degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in 1960.

He began his distinguished career with Carolina Power & Light Company, rising to Senior Vice President of Power Supply. In that role, he oversaw the development of the H.B. Robinson Nuclear Plant in Hartsville, SC, the first commercial nuclear power plant in the southeastern United States.

In 1980, Darrell joined Public Service Company of Indiana (PSI Energy) in Plainfield, Indiana, as President and Chief Operating Officer, also serving on the board of directors of PSI Resources Inc. He retired in 1990 after playing a key role in the company’s early transition to Cinergy.

Darrell was recognized nationally in the electric power industry and was appointed to the Electric Power Research Institute’s Research Advisory Committee in 1973, the major policy-setting body for electric power engineering research and development in the United States.

Darrell married Carolyn Westmoreland in 1952. They had one daughter, Dr. Darlyne Menscer, who shared his love of college sports, NFL football, and golf. During their 55 years of marriage, Darrell and Carolyn enjoyed travel, dancing, golf, their church and a deep commitment to NC State University, sharing time between their homes in Murrells Inlet, SC and Hightop, NC. 

Darrell served as Chair of the NC State Foundation Board and the Executive Committee of the NC State Development Board, helping to shape the university’s future through both leadership and philanthropy. In 1997, Darrell and Carolyn established the Menscer Cup through the NC State Foundation, an annual award recognizing outstanding support of the university. In recognition of his contributions and passionate commitment, Darrell was the recipient of the NC State College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus award in 1997, and the NC State Watauga Medal in 2001.  As avid Wolfpack fans and dedicated volunteers, Darrell and Carolyn were also members of the Wolfpack Club, Caldwell Scholarship benefactors, and active participants in the Alumni Adopt-A-Scholar Program.

In 2009, Darrell married Faith F. Baker and moved to Hendersonville, NC, where they split their time between homes there and in St. Petersburg, Florida, often hosting gatherings for family and friends. Together they enjoyed reading, bridge, travel and time with family. Darrell and Faith loved hiking and exploring the woods around their Hendersonville home and attending events at the adjacent Kanuga Conference Center. Darrell blazed walking trails and special places for recreation and adventure throughout their property overlooking Kanuga Falls. Their grandchildren especially loved hiking on his trails and spending hours in the pond, floating on their “Huckleberry Finn” raft and tree swinging into the brisk water.

Darrell will be remembered first and foremost for his deep devotion to family as a dedicated husband, father, stepfather, and grandfather, as well as for his deadpan sense of humor, extreme generosity, and positive spirit. When asked how he was, Darrell would always smile and say, “I’m the best in the world!”

Darrell is survived by his wife, Faith Baker of Hendersonville; his daughter, Darlyne Menscer of Charlotte; his sister, Nancy Kestler (Bill) of Statesville; Faith’s children, Emily Baker Tobin (David) of New York City, Bill Baker (Rita Horvath) of Brooklyn, and Kemp Baker of Chevy Chase; and their grandchildren, Lorenzo Tobin, Hayes Tobin, and Leo Baker.

A private family service will be held on May 16th at the Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center.

The family kindly requests that no flowers be sent. Please consider donating to the NC State Foundation (ncsu.edu), Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center (kanuga.org), the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness (stjohnflatrock.org) or the Moldova World Children's Fund (moldovawcf.org) in Darrell’s honor.

Sanders Funeral Home.