Friels Establish Charitable Trust for Athletics
Start a conversation with Bill and Lois Friel, and they will say, "We're not academics." They will quickly follow that with "We love New Mexico State University." Their love for the Aggie athletics program began not long after they arrived in Las Cruces in 1963. They credit Lou Henson, former coach of the Aggie men's basketball team, and his wife Mary for the loyalty they have felt for more than four decades.
Bill's position with Mountain Bell Telephone Company first brought them to Las Cruces from Farmington. Bill retired in 1986 after 35 years, but they have had several other careers since then.
The Friels spent many years vacationing in their RV. They traveled throughout the West following Bill's retirement while he sold advertising for an RV magazine. They partnered with several others to buy an RV park in Washington state and have an RV parked on the premises to use during the summer when the desert heat gets too strong.
While they were living in Washington, Lois earned her nursing degree. She worked for several years at NMSU in both student and employee health centers. Not wanting to be "outsmarted" by his wife, Bill attended Olympic College in Bremerton, Wash., and earned a chef's degree. In 1992, they spent a year at a sport fishing camp in Alaska where Bill served as the cook and Lois served as nurse and hostess.
They always want to be in Las Cruces for the start of the women's volleyball season. "We love to watch them play," Lois says. You will also see the couple at football and basketball games. Coaches and athletic department staff members are frequently the beneficiaries of the Friels' cooking and baking skills.
The Friels have received so much enjoyment from their involvement with the NMSU athletics department that they decided to give something back. They established a charitable remainder trust with property they own south of Las Cruces. Scholarships to support student athletes will be established with the proceeds from their trust.