网曝吃瓜

Lifelong teacher.
Pilot.
Regent.
Dean of Academic Affairs.
Mom.
Entrepreneur.
Cook.

These are only a handful of words and titles that describe聽Marie Olive McNeff, a dedicated leader in the Augsburg聽College community for nearly 40 years, who passed away聽August 23 at her home following a yearlong battle with cancer.

McNeff鈥檚 commitment to the College crossed all departments,聽but started in 1968 when she was a member of the聽Education Department. McNeff taught for 27 years in the聽College鈥檚 elementary education, adult undergraduate, and聽Master of Arts in Leadership programs.

鈥淢arie鈥檚 willingness to think 鈥榣arge鈥� and beyond traditional聽bounds and take calculated risks serves as a model for all of聽us in the Education Department,鈥� said Vicki Olson, director of聽the Master of Arts in Education program, in a 2001 nomination聽of McNeff for the Spirit of Augsburg Award.

鈥淎lways we have been challenged by Marie鈥檚 鈥榬each for聽the stars鈥� attitude,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淪he pushed, prodded, and聽encouraged us to think large. Sometimes we could, often we聽couldn鈥檛. As I grow older, I find that those stars don鈥檛 seem聽as far away, and that is largely due to the conditioning and聽practice that Marie has led me through.鈥�

In 1995, McNeff was appointed vice president of academic聽affairs and dean of the College. She left this position in聽1999 to spend her last year prior to retirement as Augsburg鈥檚聽academic master planner, creating a blueprint to implement聽the academic provisions of Augsburg 2004, a College vision聽document. She was elected to the Board of Regents in 2005聽and served in that position until her retirement.

鈥淚 became Marie鈥檚 student when I arrived at Augsburg聽and slowly realized that this remarkable woman did indeed聽have the heart of a teacher. She did strive each and every聽day to create opportunities for learning鈥攍earning that was聽grounded in community, learning that was lifelong, learning聽that changed lives,鈥� said Augsburg College President Paul C.聽Pribbenow in his eulogy for McNeff.

鈥淚 was invited into her extended classroom, where she聽taught me about Augsburg and its deeply held values鈥攁bout聽community and shared leadership and walking the talk. She聽taught me about ways in which a small business such as聽SarTec can partner with a college like Augsburg to serve our聽mutual needs and aspirations. She taught me to dream big聽and then give away what you find. She taught me courage and聽resilience.鈥�

McNeff鈥檚 reach extended into many areas outside of Augsburg,聽most notably in her commitment to McNeff family businesses聽where she served in varied roles, including as assistant聽to the president at SarTec Corporation, president of McNeff聽Research Consultants, and member of the Board of Directors聽of Ever Cat Fuels.

It was in her role with SarTec that McNeff鈥檚 commitment聽to mentoring, leadership, and hospitality was again made聽evident. Every day McNeff prepared lunch for employees of聽the company. Staff and family would gather in fellowship and聽community just upstairs from the offices.

McNeff was a graduate of Genoa High School in Genoa,聽Nebr., and earned bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, and doctoral degrees聽in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was聽a member of the Anoka United Methodist Church and held a聽private pilot鈥檚 license.

As an educator, leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist,聽McNeff was deeply committed to the vision for the Center for聽Science, Business, and Religion, and the McNeff family is a聽great benefactor of the College.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother,聽LeRoy Rockey. She is survived by her sister, Marece; her husband,聽Larry; her son, Clayton 鈥�91, and daughter-in-law, Denise;聽and three grandchildren: Charles, Alexander, and Bridget.

Memorials may be directed to the Augsburg College Center聽for Science, Business, and Religion ().