Flags across North Carolina are flying at half-staff Monday in honor of former UNC System President CD Spangler Jr.

Spangler, who served as the system president for 11 years beginning in the mid-1980s, died last Sunday.

Governor Roy Cooper ordered the flags be lowered at state facilities in honor of Spangler.

“Dick Spangler was a champion for public education as a member of his local school board, chairman of the State Board of Education and president of our great university system,” Cooper said in a release. “We will miss his courage, innovation and inspiration.”

The UNC System also honored Spangler at a meeting of the system’s Board of Governors on Friday.

“His belief in education powered his actions,” current system president Margaret Spellings said on Friday. “The first in his family to go to college, he worked steadfastly to extend that opportunity to others, whether that was helping leading Charlotte through school integration, chairing our state’s public K-12 schools, giving generously to education – including the creation of 120 endowed professorships – or leading this University System as President during a critical time.

“In many senses, we are where we are because of Dick. Because of his leadership.”

The system also shared a video of Spangler calling the president of the UNC System the “best job in North Carolina.”

Flags across the state will remain at half-staff in honor of Spangler until sunset on Tuesday.

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