SAN ANTONIO – Our Lady of the Lake University is speaking out after one of its beloved faculty members died in an accidental drowning Wednesday.
The university is remembering Dr. Cary Guffey, 53, as an integral part of the mathematics and science department.
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“He was a colleague, a friend and someone who will be sorely missed,” said Teresita Munguia, chair of the department.
Guffey, who had worked at OLLU since 1999, was greatly known for his fascination with nature.
“Since he was a little boy, he has always wanted to be a biologist,” Munguia said. “He wanted to be outside and play with snakes and investigate the world. He really brought that love of nature and love of science to his students.”
She said his was not your typical ‘easy A’ class, and his methods of teaching and caring have impacted students to this day.
“He was a tough cookie,” Munguia said. “His courses were hard, but students learned so much. Some students will tell us, and told him, that he helped them in their futures and life and their careers.”
Munguia said she remembers Guffey as a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan and a man with a deep faith who was heavily involved with his perish.
“One of the stories he would love to tell is when he got married. He told his then soon-to-be and now wife that he would change all of his bad habits and do anything she wanted,” Munguia said. “The only thing that she had to promise to let him do is to listen to the Cardinals baseball game.”
She said his death has caught the school off guard and has impacted the university, but they will continue to stay strong in support of his family.
“We’re heartbroken, but we are taking solace in the strong family community that Our Lady of the Lake has, and we are here to support the Guffey family. We hope to continue his legacy by supporting his students,” Munguia said.
Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.