Providing for McKendree’s Future

Growing up in northern Minnesota, just 90 miles from the Canadian border, Lucille "Lucy" Sudol never imagined being able to visit, let alone reside in, some of the countries she has called home. In the Air Force, her husband, Thad, received his observer, navigator, and bombardier badges before retiring as a Civil Engineer. His service sent them on travels all around the world, including Guam and Japan. These were among her favorite places to be stationed at as she has very fond memories of the people and the culture.

The Sudols also very much enjoyed the ability to wait around in airports in the hopes of getting a seat to a new and exciting destination, a benefit she describes of his service. She lights up when speaking of the beauty of these places, which is exactly what drew her to McKendree University. "I just remember my husband came home from golfing one day and he could not stop talking about how beautiful the campus was, I just had to visit to see for myself," she explains. She fell in love instantaneously. Together, they began their support of McKendree University in 1987.

Having received a Master's degree herself, Lucy has always held education to the highest of priorities. She describes herself as a constant learner and since moving to Belleville has been actively involved with the Thursday Literary Club and the GM chapter of the P.E.O Sisterhood. She also belongs to the Belleville Health and Sports Center and Signal Hill United Methodist Church. She credits the friendships made through her involvement with these organizations as her support system when she experienced the loss of her husband to leukemia in 1993.

Lucy has been a member of the William McKendree Society since 2006. After learning of the plans for the renovation of Holman Library while attending the public launch of Forward: The Campaign for McKendree University, and witnessing firsthand the need for improvement in this space, Lucy was drawn to make a difference. Since then, she has been a continuous supporter of the renovation to Holman Library. As she explains it, "every university must have a high-quality library to aid students in their education."

In addition to her current support of Holman Library, Lucy acknowledges the importance of providing for the future of the institution. It is for this reason that she decided to name McKendree University as a beneficiary in her estate plans. Through her current giving and plans for the future, Lucy is directly impacting the lives of our students today while ensuring McKendree University will continue to provide a high-quality education for our future students.