"Everett Eugene Ayers, Jr., PhD, was known as a distinguished scholar, engineer, horse breeder, and a gentlemen. He was born in Somerville, New Jersey on March 13, 1949. He grew up in Bridgewater with many members of his family. Dr. Ayers graduated from Bridgewater – Raritan High School- West in 1967 having been honored with the top student award in science and also the combined mathematics and science award and in a tie for the top mathematics student award. Dr. Ayers was one of the three-person team to win the Central Jersey mathematics first place award. He also lettered on the tennis team.

During the summers, he worked as a Summer Educational Employee Assistance scholarship winner in the Engineering Department of John-Manville Products Corporation in Manville, New Jersey.

Dr. Ayers matriculated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated with honors in 1971 with a BSEE degree in Electrical Engineering. His senior research studies and thesis concentrated on the "Contamination Flashover of Insulators." Dr. Ayers played tennis and squash at MIT. He also competed in Tournament Bridge, earning the title of Master Bridge Player.

He was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to further his studies of Engineering at the Moore School of the University of Pennsylvania. He developed a research interest in software cost estimation and software cost analysis and received an MSE degree in 1973.

Dr. Ayers continued his studies and research in software engineering on a part time basis with the Kennedy Western University, where he received his doctoral degree in Engineering. His doctoral thesis was entitled "Estimation of Software Development Effort and Cost –A Generalized Model Accounting for Object-Oriented Approaches, Learning and Integration".

Upon graduation, Dr. Ayers began his engineering career with the Johns-Manville Products Corporation as Quality Control Supervisor and Design Engineer. He next received an offer to become a Project Engineer in Electromagnetic Compatibility Analysis with the Illinois Institute of Technology at Annapolis, Maryland. Dr. Ayers worked on DoD System including JTIDS, AWACS, and MILSTAR.

Dr. Ayers joined the Aeronautical Radio Corporation (ARINC) (now Raytheon Technologies) in 1980 where he worked on software cost analysis, crypto security, reliability studies, proposals, project management, technical writing and editing, marketing, probability and statistical analysis and risk analysis. He next was employed part time as Quality Control Supervisor through the present. He authored several published research papers, including as a co-author, The Frist Prize winning paper for the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) conference entitled "Benefits of commercial data link security".

Begginning in the 1970s, Dr. Ayers cultivated his interest in thoroughbred horse racing management and breeding. He went on to become a very successful award-winning breeder and owner of stakes placed horses , Jolly Oop, One Tuff Oop, and Notastar. Futhermore, Bold and Gorgeous won the Davona Dale Stakes for Dr. Ayers, and he bred,owned and managed stakes winning Quest of Fate who was awarded the Maryland Reserve Champion Yearling in 1999 and went on to become a multiple stakes winner and a track record holder at the Atlantic City Racecourse. Dr. Ayers was a part owner for breeding of the horse Louis Quatorze who won the 1996 Preakness Stakes. Dr. Ayers enjoyed sharing his enjoyment of the horse racing industry with his friends and family. He followed the horse racing industry throughout the rest of his life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Gladys and Everett E. Ayers, Sr.

Surviving are his loving sister, Ruth Carol Hollender, his nephew Rick and wife Susan Hollender and their children, Ryan and Dylan and nephew Robert E. Jr. and wife Joanne Hollender, his niece Cheryl and husband Shaun Teat and their children, Jess and husband JT, Matty, and Shauna.

Entombment will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 11am at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge, NJ.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider making donation to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Last Chance Ranch.