Niner Walk brick program – preserving faculty/staff legacies, too
Buddy Aldridge worked in facilities management for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2000. He passed away in 2015, but his legacy of service to the University will be enshrined forever as part of the Niner Walk Brick Program.
Aldridge’s daughter-in-law Sandy Aldridge (’95) purchased a piece of 49er Way, the brick walkway between Cameron Boulevard and Richardson Stadium, in his honor. This is the path that the Charlotte 49ers football team, Pride of Niner Nation marching band and fans take from Hauser Alumni Pavilion to the stadium. A limited number of customized bricks are being sold for the initial installation along 49er Way.
“We saw this as an opportunity to honor Buddy on the campus for which he worked so hard, and for a campus that has meant so much to our family. He gave so many years to the University, we felt that his dedication and hard work deserved to be remembered in a permanent place there,” said Sandy Aldridge. Her husband Todd (’92) is a UNC Charlotte alumnus, earning a bachelor’s degree in creative arts. Currently, he is senior vice president/creative director for Luquire George Andrews Inc. The couple met at UNC Charlotte, and they have three children Casey, 21, a Levine Scholar; Sarah, 20; and Meg, 17.
Todd Aldridge said he had many fond memories of visiting campus with his father. When Todd was young, his parents would bring him to campus during the summer for day camps, and he would explore various parts of campus or hang out by Hechenbleikner Lake with his dad. Evelyn Aldridge, Todd’s mother, also worked on campus; she retired in 2001 from the Department of Religious Studies.
A native of Cabarrus County, William “Buddy” Aldridge joined UNC Charlotte in 1972. Before retiring as a maintenance supervisor, Aldridge worked in a variety of positions, but he specialized in roofing and the removal of lead and asbestos, said Todd Aldridge. “He was renowned for his positive attitude and hard work, and when he wasn’t working, Buddy enjoyed visiting the greenhouse and gardens and watching 49ers baseball.”
In 1998, then-Chancellor Jim Woodward presented Buddy Aldridge with the Employee of the Year Award for his outstanding service to the University.
Other Aldridge family members who have attended UNC Charlotte include Tamara Aldridge Bumgardner (’85), Buddy’s daughter; she is a mortgage underwriter with Headway Resources. Heather Aldridge McGowan, Buddy’s granddaughter, completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2009; she is an ICU nurse at Carolinas HealthCare System-Northeast.
“The Niner Walk Alumni Brick Program is a perfect opportunity to honor not only members of the Niner Nation but to preserve and recognize efforts by our pioneering faculty and staff members,” said Jenny Jones, executive director of the UNC Charlotte Alumni Affairs Office. “Dedicated employees, such as Buddy Aldridge, worked tirelessly to advance the University, and to have their names enshrined along 49er Way will serve as a lasting reminder of their legacies of contribution and service.”