Joseph Huff, Sc’75, has always had a knack for fixing things. Machines, furnaces, even the occasional mis-wired elevator. So when the longtime mechanical engineer decided to review his estate plans recently, he saw an opportunity to make one final repair. This time, to balance a lingering Queen’s “debt.
“Maybe I shouldn’t admit this,” he says, chuckling, “but when I was in first year at McNeil House, a few of us decided to rewire the elevator. We thought it’d be funny if the button for the second floor went to the basement instead. The indicator said you were on the third floor. It confused everybody.”
The prank didn’t end quite as well for the university as it did for the students. “They had to get someone from Toronto to come fix it. I think it cost about a thousand bucks,” recalls Huff. “We all kept quiet for years!”
Half a century later, Huff is setting things right. He’s named Queen’s as one of the beneficiaries of his Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA), a U.S. savings plan similar to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) in Canada. He’ll be directing funds to the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, where it all began for him.
“It’s kind of my way of paying them back,” he says, “and paying it forward.”
Huff grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and first visited the Kingston area while vacationing in the nearby Thousand Islands. Once at Queen’s, he found his rhythm quickly, enjoying his courses, instructors, and, of course, Clark Hall Pub.
“We used to have smokers at Clark,” he remembers. “Professors would sometimes show up, and we’d all have a few beers together. It made for some great stories and great memories.”
Those light-hearted nights were balanced by serious learning. “Everything about Queen’s was positive,” says Huff. “The education was first-rate, and the professors really cared about the students. I left there feeling like I was ready for anything.”
Huff went on to work in the industrial and commercial heat-treating field. He eventually joined Peters’ Heat Treating in Meadville, where he’s worked for 38 years, much of it as a plant engineer. These days, he’s semi-retired.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without the education I got at Queen’s,” he says. “It gave me the background to do everything I’ve done in life.”
So, when Huff started thinking about his estate recently, he wanted to make sure the causes that mattered to him would continue to benefit others.
“I’m single, without kids, and friends will get some of my money,” he says, “but I also wanted to give to a few organizations that have been important to me, including Queen’s.
“If you’ve got the resources and Queen’s was good to you, why not give back? It’s the right thing to do.”
Huff’s planned gift will support areas of greatest need within the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, helping future engineers discover the same kind of community and opportunity he found at Queen’s. He hopes the funds will strengthen teaching and research and give students hands-on experiences that prepare them for success.
And while the infamous McNeil House elevator is now long fixed, Huff’s generosity helps ensure that Queen’s will keep rising – this time, in the right direction.
Like Joe Huff, you can create a legacy that lifts future Queen’s students. Explore your planned giving options.
