Remembering a Mustang’s Legacy of Education and Love

Header Image: Bill Badgley, Brian Badgley and Carol Ann McEntee. Photo courtesy of Bill Badgley.

Carol Ann McEntee (History, ‘72) loved children and made it her life’s work to advocate for them, working tirelessly toward the goal of ensuring that all children are respected, cared for and loved. Sadly, she passed away unexpectedly in 2022. To honor her memory and her legacy of education and child development, her husband Bill Badgley recently established a charitable gift annuity at Cal Poly that will benefit the Child Development department in the College of Liberal Arts.

Born in Burbank, Carol attended both Cal Poly and Chico State, where she earned her Master of Arts in School Psychology. During the summer of 1981, while studying for her master's degree, a friend from Cal Poly invited her for a visit to New Hampshire. During that visit, that friend also introduced her to her future husband, Bill. The two hit it off so well that her originally planned short trip lasted the entire summer and was the start of their more than 40 years together.

“That year, we called each other often (before cell phones) and visited coast-to-coast as often as we could,” added Bill.

The following year, after a year of having a long-distance relationship, Carol moved across the country to join Bill when she accepted a job as an elementary school psychologist in Keene, NH. This was the start of her lengthy career working in primary school education where she was committed to helping create safe and nurturing environments for everyone. Throughout it, she remained an advocate for struggling children and worked on preemptive programs to stop bullying.

Bill fondly remembers their life together, including raising their son Brian, and his wife’s love of reading, music, art and nature – especially birds, shells, and mushrooms. Bill’s work included teaching English to adult immigrants, and Carol loved meeting his students as much as he did. Through those many international friendships, Carol and Bill were able to metaphorically travel the world together. Additionally, for 38 years they vacationed during the winter down at Sanibel Island, FL, where Carol would collect shells on the beach to add to her beautiful collection. She brought back many boxes of them to share with her students at school.

When it came to remembering his wife’s memory, Bill wanted to make a gift that would both honor her life’s work and help future generations of educators follow in her footsteps. He knew Cal Poly always held a special place in her heart and it also played a pivotal role in how they met and started their life together.

“Carol was a caring, generous woman. Cal Poly was the beginning of her journey to a career full of care and generosity. And of course, had it not been for her attending Cal Poly, we would have never met,” said Bill.  “I wanted to create a legacy gift to reflect our gratitude.”

Legacy donations make an impact. To learn how you can establish a charitable gift annuity that pays you income for life and symbolizes your passion for Cal Poly and our future students, contact Cal Poly's Office of Gift Planning at 805-756-7125 or [email protected].