A Life of Excellence and Service
As many of you have heard, Michael Deason ’75, beloved brother and House Corporation member, entered Chapter Eternal on May 9, 2023. A longtime resident of Edmond, Oklahoma, Mike was a passionate supporter of his family, colleagues, and community, including his Delta Tau Delta brothers.
The Family Brotherhood
Family came first, and Mike was honored when his two sons, Matt ’01 and Jared ’04, joined him (and uncle Frank Winfrey ’78) as brothers in Delta Chi. Matt, like his father before him, met like-minded people at the Shelter and decided Delt was right for him. Jared, being three years younger, visited Matt at the Shelter frequently, getting to know his brothers well.
“We both visited other houses, but I think my mind was pretty much made up once I was a freshman,” Jared said.
Mike made many lifelong friends as a Delt, which his sons believe deepened his connection to OSU. “He loved OSU basketball and football—in fact, he sat right next to his pledge brother Dr. Jonathan Friend ’75 with their basketball season tickets,” Matt recalled.
Supporting Our Shelter
“I was always close with my dad, and I think Delta Tau Delta made us even closer,” Jared revealed. Having both sons in the chapter partly inspired Mike’s renewed involvement as an alumnus. Delta Chi struggled with low alumni engagement in Jared’s years, but Mike joined the House Corporation and reinvigorated it by recruiting fellow brothers from his era such as Dan Loving ’72.
Over the past 20 years and until his passing, Mike worked on the House Corporation and was proud to be involved in the Pledge Delt Again campaign for our Shelter. Jared saw his father at the Shelter often as he reinvigorated fellow alumni to support the chapter.
Those years of service exemplified Mike’s incredible networking skills and his love of helping people. In his 50-year career in the oil and gas industry, what he loved the most was connecting with interacting with people day to day, helping clients and colleagues meet their goals.
A Brother’s Legacy
Mike told his sons that the biggest benefit of a fraternity was the people they would meet and the networks that they would create. He proved this by touching the lives of countless Delts.
“He was a great listener and enjoyed learning about people, hearing their stories,” Matt remembered. “He had a unique way of making people feel like they were the only person in the room and always showed genuine interest.”
When Mike passed away, Matt and Jared received messages from countless brothers, many of whom shared stories they’d never heard.
“One told me about my dad helping him with his résumé before a job interview, and another talked about Dad helping him with his homework,” Jared shared. “He enjoyed helping people, for sure.”
Both brothers were amazed at how many Delts attended Mike’s service in May—from his era, their era, and beyond. His impact on the fraternity was clear.
“He helped way more people than we’ll ever know,” Matt said. “He was a humble, behind-the-scenes type of guy.”
“If he were still here, I think he’d say that Delt gave him so much that he felt it was important for him to give back to Delt,” Jared added.
Thank you, brothers, for sharing some of your father’s story with Delta Chi!
Related: Gale Wilkerson ’66 Reflects On His Delta Tau Delta Experience
