Like many legacies, this one begins with the love story— a story of two teachers who
changed the lives of so many.
Archie Jurich was a business teacher at Jackson-Wilson High School, as well as the basketball and football coach. Lois Kemper was hired to teach girls physical education and to coach cheerleading. They were both handsome, smart, athletic, fun, and talented. They fell in love, and in 1960 they married. As Archie’s obituary said, “It was truly a match made in heaven and they were an amazing couple who influenced and guided many of Jackson’s young people during their years in education.”
Archie had grown up in Rock Springs and earned his bachelor’s and master’s in education. During this time, Archie also served his country through his work in Army interpretation and counterintelligence during World War II. Lois attended college in Missouri and taught in Iowa.
Archie and Lois taught a combined 60 years in Jackson and then opted for early retirement in 1982. They then began spending the winter months in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, playing golf, boating, lake and fly fishing, camping, and grouse hunting—most of all, just being together. Tragedy struck, though, when Lois died of cancer in 2008. Lois’s death left a huge void in Archie’s life, as the years with his beloved Lois had been the happiest he had ever had. Archie passed away in 2018.
The Jurichs’ legacy is immense. They leave behind generations of students they taught and coached, as well as fellow athletes and friends. They also left their legacy at the University of Wyoming. With their estate, the Jurichs supported the Archie J. and Lois Kemper Jurich Memorial Scholarship Fund, which had been established in 2013. This scholarship supports UW students from Rock Springs who have financial need. During their lifetime, the Jurichs also supported the Literacy Research Center and Clinic and the UW Alumni Association, among other things.
What’s your Wyoming legacy? You can include support for UW students in perpetuity in your estate while also making an impact today through a Legacy Match. Go to uwyo.edu/giftplanning to learn more.
