Ralph and Viva Lugbill Multicultural Leadership Awards

Ralph and Viva Lugbill have been through many walks of life — or more appropriately — many hikes through life’s mountains and trails.

They met in Denver, Colo., while Ralph was working and attending summer school at the University of Colorado and Viva was a student at La Junta Mennonite School of Nursing.  They were married Dec. 30, 1952.  Ralph, a native of Archbold, Ohio, graduated from Goshen College in 1953, while Viva, a native of Martinsburg, Penn., graduated from La Junta.  They have four children and six grandchildren.

In 1964, the Lugbills moved to the Washington, D.C. area and lived there until 1997, and now reside in Estes Park Colorado.  Ralph is self-employed as an investor who acquires and manages apartment and office buildings.  Viva has worked part time as a nurse in a hospital and an institution for the mentally handicapped, as well as running an antique and craft shop.

Ralph has served his alma mater well over the years because he sees Goshen College as a valuable alternative to large state universities.  “We heartily believe in the small private college concept of education,” he said.  Ralph has served as a member and president of the alumni board and as a member of the steering committee for the Uncommon Cause, Century Two campaign.

To say Ralph and Viva volunteer their time to service-based organizations would be an understatement.  They spent two years in voluntary service in Puerto Rico after college and have worked with various peace groups in Washington.  They are members of Langley Hill Friends Meeting in McLean, Va., a Quaker Meeting.  Over the years Ralph has served as treasurer of Sandy Springs Friends School and treasurer of Friends Committee on National Legislation, the longest-running religious lobby group in Washington DC.  Viva has been to Guatemala with Witness for Peace and was a part of the group that started the MCC Self-Help store in Alexandria, Va.

In addition to their service-related travels, the Lugbills have hiked many mountains throughout the world. Ralph’s love for long-distance mountain hiking has lead them to regular visits to Shenandoah National Park and extended trips to Colorado, the Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, the White Mountains of New Hampshire,  Dolomites in Italy and the Alps in Switzerland, France,  Austria and Germany.  Outdoor life also provides time for Viva’s hobby, birdwatching.

Through extensive travels and life in a metropolitan area, Ralph and Viva know the values of living in a multicultural world and would like to see students have the same opportunities, according to Ralph.  “We really believe that the multicultural mix of students is a very good plus — a very helpful thing in the life of all students.”