Kay & Rick Kingelin: Giving Back to the Parks That Have Given So Much

Kay Kingelin and her husband Rick love to spend time outdoors. About 15 years ago, after they had both retired from their professional careers, they uprooted themselves from Houston, which had been their home for decades.

Before she retired, Kay was a teacher and a coach. Rick was a petroleum research scientist and engineer for several major corporations. After he retired, he formed his own company and continues to do consulting work.

“We moved out here to Lake Palestine in East Texas so we could have one last adventure,” said Kay. “We have a fishing boat and a pontoon boat, and we love to get out on the water. We’re getting up there in age, and it’s getting a little more difficult than it used to be, but we love to zip around the lake whenever we can.”

They’ve enjoyed a lifetime of outdoor adventures, including many in Texas State Parks. Kay is especially fond of Brazos Bend State Park, where she volunteered for several years before they moved to East Texas.

“I helped out in the interpretive center, and it was such a kick to see the kids light up when they learned more about the alligators they could see in the park,” she said.

Kay also has fond memories of many adventures out in Big Bend. She recalled one special adventure in 1985 with two of her girlfriends.

“I was a whole lot younger then,” she laughed. “For five days we back packed all over the national park, visiting several canyons and tinajas. We had to leave the La Noria campground one night at midnight because of torrential rains. A park ranger helped us move our van. What a trip!”

Another Big Bend trip in 1999 landed her in a canoe next to a former student.

“I was getting into the canoe and this young man turns to me and says, ‘Are you Mrs. Kingelin?’ He remembered me from junior high, and we had such a good time on the river.”

Kay visits parks these days vicariously through the pages of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, which she has subscribed to for decades. When she and Rick were doing estate planning recently, she thought about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The couple has since made a planned gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation through their will.

“I read about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in the magazine, and we decided that we really wanted to do something for the state of Texas. We looked at other foundations, but we really wanted our legacy to be connected to the parks where we have made so many wonderful memories. The parks have given us so much, so we want to give back.”

As the two have weathered the pandemic along with the rest of us, they have come to appreciate parks all the more.

“People are discovering how wonderful the parks are and just think how terrible it would be right now if we didn't have our state parks to visit. We want to continue supporting them for future generations to enjoy after we are gone.”

Find out more about how you can make a planned gift to TPWF and leave a wild legacy for Texas.