Stephan Percy Aristide Kugel

Stephan Percy Aristide Kugel, 79, passed away peacefully Friday, March 29, 2013 at his home in Ramblewoods, Valdese. Stephan was born January 23, 1934 in Charlottenberg, west of Berlin, Germany to the late Erwin Kugel and Hilda Margerete Gassmann Kugel. Mr. Kugel attended the New York City Public Schools for the Deaf; then attended and finished 8th grade at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA. He entered high school in Rochester, NY and graduated from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. While at Gallaudet, Stephan was an avid Track and Field and Cross Country runner. He was well known for earning winning medals and held championship medals. He got a silver medal at the VIII Giochi Internationals of the Deaf in Milano, Rome and was named to the U.S.A. Deaf Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2000.Stephan retired from a short career with the International Typographical Union as a teletype printer in large cities all over the U.S. He obtained a teaching job at the Alabama School for the Deaf. He retired from the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton as a Science and Chemistry teacher in the high school. He served as an officer for several organizations of the deaf in North Carolina. He was president of the NC Association of the Deaf for three straight terms; held offices of the Foothills Deaf Lions Club, an active member of the Deaf Seniors of NC; and held offices of the Table Rock AARP Chapter #5076. He was a member and past deacon at the First Baptist Deaf Mission of Morganton where he taught Sunday School classes for several years. Stephan was also involved in setting up captions for the deaf on TV sets and TTY machines for local hospitals and other public places in NC.Surviving are his loving and devoted wife of 43 years, Anita Cass Stone Kugel of the home; son, Joshua Kugel of Morganton; daughter, Connie Allison Kugel Lawson and husband, Andy of Shelby, NC; grandchildren, Brianna, Joshua, Janessa, Keith, and Stefanie; sister, Renate Kugel Alpert of Boulder, CO; brother, Peter Kugel and wife, Judy of Cambridge, MA; niece, Janine Randol of Boulder, CO; nephews, Dr. Jefferey Alpert of Denver, CO, Seth Kugel of Long Island, NY, and Jeremy Kugel of Silver Springs, MD. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by sister, Eva Kugel.Graveside services will be held Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 3:00 p.m., at Burke Memorial Park with Rev. Tom Lineberger officiating. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 29690 or to the First Baptist Church Deaf Mission, PO Box 459, Morganton, NC 28680. Sossoman Funeral Home is assisting the family.