George Kuffel dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to educating and helping students along with the support of his wife, Nancy. Even though they have since passed away, they continue to impact students’ lives with a gift in their will to the McNeese Foundation.
George hailed from St. Cloud, Minnesota, while Nancy was a product of British Columbia, Canada. Looking for a bit of adventure, Nancy enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. George was looking for some adventure himself when he joined the U.S. Army via the ROTC program at North Dakota State University.
He was commissioned into the Army after graduation, began his career with the Korean Police Action and was stationed in cities around the world before he retired from active duty 20 years later after his last trip to Vietnam. While stationed in France, George met Nancy who was working in a civilian position. Upon returning to the United States, the couple eventually married.
One of their many stops along the way included Lake Charles. While stationed here, the Kuffels had the opportunity to observe the impact McNeese State University had on the Southwest Louisiana community. Upon Major Kuffel’s retirement in 1971, he and Nancy decided to call Lake Charles “home.”
Although George retired from the Army, he didn’t retire from his love of learning. George’s proclivity to education was developed from childhood. His father served as the psychology department chair at Western Michigan State University while his mother received her library science degree from the University of Indiana. George graduated from North Dakota State with dual majors in chemistry and zoology.
Once the couple settled in Lake Charles, George enrolled as a graduate student in McNeese’s psychology department (now the department of psychology and counseling). He received his Master of Arts degree in psychology in 1972 and worked as a graduate assistant. George also served as counselor at DeQuincy High School for three years before returning to McNeese State University to work in the office of continuing education. He retired from McNeese in January 1995 and continued teaching psychology courses for more than 10 years after his retirement. After a long and fulfilling life, George passed away in 2017 while Nancy died in 2019.
The gift in their will established the Nancy and George Kuffel Professorship in Pre-Med, Nancy and George Kuffel Professorship in Psychology and the Nancy and George Kuffel Endowment for the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Kuffels for their foresight and generosity in establishing the psychology professorship and endowment for the College of Nursing and Health Professions,” stated Dr. Ann Warner, College of Nursing and Health Professions (CONHP) dean and professor.
“This professorship will offer psychology faculty the opportunity to pursue a variety of projects to further the mission of McNeese. For example, psychology faculty often travel with their students to present research and have used other professorship funds as seed money for larger grants, for professional development, and to purchase software to enhance student instruction.” she said.
“The endowment for the CONHP will provide consistent funding each year and will help fill needs that are not covered with state funding.” George’s commitment to education and both he and Nancy’s fondness for McNeese continue beyond their lifetime, and their enduring legacy will impact McNeese for years to come.
If you would like more information on how to leave your legacy, call the McNeese Foundation at 337-475-5588 or visit mcneesefoundation.planningyourlegacy.org.