The Feigls

By Susan Harrington

World travelers Ruth and the late Ken Feigl have been to 149 countries and every continent except Antarctica (which they plan to visit in 2009). So for them, the circle of international flags in front of Lynn’s Schmidt Building represent not only countries they have visited, but they also symbolize what the couple values most about Lynn: its international focus.

The Feigls are originally from New York. Ken, an alumnus of Bernard Baruch College of City University of New York, was an accountant and businessman. Ruth, who studied art at the Manhattan High School for Art and Music and graduated from Queens College, was a sculptress; she continues to practice her art to this day. They came to Florida in 1977, settling in Boca Raton because of its convenient location. Ken and Ruth made the Boca del Mar community their home; in classic Feigl-style, Ken volunteered as president of the homeowners association for ten years.

Ken met Don Ross through the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce in the early ’80s where Ken served as President from 1982 to 1983, and the couple developed a friendship with Don and Helen Ross. They, in turn, introduced the Feigls to then Marymount College—and thus began the Feigls’ warm relationship with Lynn. They take full advantage of all Lynn offers to the community, and enjoy attending academic lectures, concerts and performances.

Lynn’s international focus has captured the hearts of these globetrotters. “Through our world travels, we love experiencing other cultures and their customs. We think the international diversity at Lynn is wonderful, and it provides a very special educational opportunity for the Lynn students, and our community, to learn about and from each other,” noted Ken.

The Feigls believe in philanthropy and have a long history of sharing their resources with their community—not only treasure, but time and talent as well. Ken continues to be active in the Chamber of Commerce.  In 1992, Ruth was named Junior League Woman of the Year. She has volunteered with numerous groups over the years including the American Red Cross and Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, is focusing on the Habilitation Center for the Handicapped (three times past president) and the Mae Volen Senior Center “We learned the value of ‘giving back’ from both our families. It’s just what you did,” remarked Ruth. “We may not have had a lot, but we shared what we did have. When I was growing up, my mother was always very active and involved. Children learn this quality at home. It’s so important for them to see these values in practice.”

So when the Feigls were considering their estate planning options, including Lynn was a natural choice for them. As part of their planning, the couple has included a generous bequest and a charitable gift annuity—Lynn’s first. A charitable gift annuity meets their current financial planning needs but also allows them to direct the benefits of the charitable gift annuity to a future endowed scholarship. With Ruth’s passion for art and her experience in advertising and public relations, the Feigls selected the Lynn College of International Communication for the scholarship.

David Jaffe, dean of the Eugene M. and Christine E. Lynn College of International Communication, commented, “As we focus on preparing our students for professional careers in the fast-changing fields of communications and media, this scholarship provides a key financial resource for the next generation of communications industry practitioners and leaders.”

Note: Ken Feigl passed away on September 24, 2011. Ruth Feigl passed away on May 6, 2015.