Phi Gamma Delta - University of Kansas

FIJI Jayhawker 2 Visit www.kufiji.org for all things KU FIJI! The password to protected areas of www.kufiji.org is "morgan." Online Giving: tinyurl.com/fijikuannual Facebook: KU Phi Gamma Delta Instagram: @kufiji concern of my future wife and my FIJI brothers, I wouldn't have survived." The support and influence of his FIJI brothers have been irreplaceable from the start. "Phi Gamma Delta helped me form the best friendships of my life. It's important to be a loyal friend and supportive when times are tough," he said. "Back in the day, we went through vigorous pledge education that forced us together. We had to rely on and look out for one another. That keeps us bonded to this day." What transformed him for the better at Pi Deuteron Chapter was living with brothers who taught him that without hard work, any intelligence is going to be wasted. While Aaron admittedly "skated through high school," watching his FIJI brothers grind through serious majors taught him that he was going to have to change. He learned how to study and how to succeed, which ultimately allowed him to pursue his dream of going into medicine. Aaron graduated from KU School of Medicine in 1992 and spent the next four years in internal medicine at KU, finishing his residency at KU in 1996. After that, he worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he was a trainee in cardiology before moving back to KC in 2000. He emphasized that as a sub-specialist in interventional cardiology, he has not been a frontline worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I have gained expertise in a very small niche, which is opening up blockages in heart arteries that are 100% occluded," he stated. "I spent a lot of time pre-pandemic traveling around the world teaching people how to do these complex coronary interventions." Because of the lockdown, Aaron hasn't traveled in almost a year, and since many of his surgeries are elective, they were canceled at the onset of the pandemic. However, having more down time at home gave him a chance to find a silver lining in the coronavirus chaos. "I was on a hamster wheel, running as fast as I could to teach as many people and publish as many papers as I could, but I wasn't doing the most important work—being a good husband father," he said. "An important life lesson that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is that when you slow down, you realize what's most important. I won't be getting back on that hamster wheel to the same degree." Staying (safely) connected to his Phi Gam brothers over the last year is another aspect Aaron is grateful for. A few of them recently enjoyed watching the Chiefs play in the Superbowl together at Aaron's house, which included lots of belly laughs and quoting their favorite movies, as usual. Aaron and his wife, Sheila, have four children, Connor '14, Emily, Dillon '20, and Aidan, who accepted a bid for pledgeship this year. Aaron and Sheila reside in Overland Park. You can connect with him by email jgrantham@saint- lukes.org or text (913) 271-0926. The Value of Loyalty and FIJI Friendships (Continued from page 1) Ad Astra Harry Stucker '47 passed on to Ad Astra on April 9, 2020. In the spring of 1947, Harry married Anna Muhlenbruch. This marriage lasted over seven decades and was filled with love and respect. They had three children and two grandchildren. Following graduation from KU, Harry was employed in the engineering department of Convair, which later became the Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics. Harry's early engineering activities spanned several technical activities, including aerodynamics, stability and flight control systems on the B-36 and B-58 airplanes. Later in his career, he worked on both the F-111 and F-16 programs. Milton S. "Sparky" Patterson II '64 passed on to Ad Astra on December 20, 2019. He and his wife of 53 years, Patricia "Jeanne," lived in Topeka, where they were active in the community and raised their family. Milton had a long career as an educator, coach, and administrator. He taught and coached at Topeka High School, Hayden High School, and was an administrator at Hayden High School, and Washburn Rural Middle School. After retirement, Milton and Jeanne moved to Lawrence in 2009. William O. Radcliffe '94 passed on to Ad Astra on April 27, 2020. In honor of Bill's memory, funds were raised and donated to Watts of Love, a global solar lighting non- profit. 150 life-changing solar lights were recently distributed in Malawi, Africa, in Bill's memory. He often discussed with Watts of Love co-founder Kevin Kuster '91, his desire to travel and serve with Watts of Love. Bill's light will now always shine in his memory. What are three words that come to mind when thinking about Phi Gamma Delta? • Lifelong friends, loyal, good times. ~ Jack Williams '57 • Unity, spirit, resolve. ~ William Hutton '75 What are your favorite memories of living at 1540 Louisiana St.? • Dinner every night, Pig Dinners, game days (we had several players, including Gil Reich '54) ~ Jack Williams '57 • The FIJI Island party in the parking lot and The Relay with K-State. ~ William Hutton '75 What keeps you connected to Phi Gamma Delta as an alumnus? • Pig Dinners. ~ Jack Williams '57 • I keep in touch with several Brothers. ~ William Hutton '75 Alumni Update ConneCt with KU FiJi online

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