Alpha Delta Phi - University of Michigan

the peninsular | 3 T hose who know John Sirrine '68, who lives in his hometown of St. Johns, Michigan, know he cares deeply about his community and the lifelong connections he has made there. It should be no surprise that a local connection led him to Alpha Delta Phi. "A well-respected member from my hometown, John White '65, recommended I visit the house during rush," John recalled. "I was accompanied by a few of my new dorm friends, who eventually became members too." The Peninsular home's location, much closer to campus than his dorm at the time, was an obvious plus. Living in the chapter house in those days created a closeness that John believes is difficult to duplicate today. "Many of the seniors lived in-house during that period, and the late-night conversations were enlightening for a 19-year-old kid. We had a band many weekends, and our formals were held in the house too." On football Saturdays, the chapter hosted an alumni brunch, then they all walked to the stadium with everyone dressed in coats and ties. That house was even home to Debbie, his high school sweetheart and wife of 54 years "who spent many a college weekend at parties singing and dancing in the bar room." John believes the team building and leadership activities of ADPhi, along with his UM education, gave him an edge in useful life skills after college. In his professional life, John is proud to have built two small businesses that supported his wife and two children (as well as other local families); both businesses are now owned by succeeding employees. Last year, John became the third "Saint of the City" for St. Johns. This award honors citizens who go the extra mile to support and add value to the small town of about 8,500. John, who feels an obligation as a Michigan man to give back, has volunteered countless hours with organizations such as the American Legion and the local historical society; he also serves as volunteer executive director of the St. Johns Community Foundation. Although the Saint is recognized at the town's Santa Parade, John knew little about the award before his selection. "A couple of young, downtown businesswomen came into my office one day and asked me if I would be that year's Saint," John described. "I was a little chagrined because I had lost some weight and knew that we already had a dress-up Santa for the parade. Turned out it was an honor for community volunteering—so I soon felt better about the offer." John's contact with Peninsular was limited until the chapter house renovation when, after hearing from John Hartwig '67, he volunteered to help clean out the library. While there, he also got to see John's wife, Patty, looking great after many years, as well as John Burpee '69 and Larry Titley '65. "It was an amazing visit—as if we were back in our early 20s," he said. "Despite the 50-year passage of time, we still had this common past and an appreciation for our time together in that old house." When John isn't working or volunteering, he is a self-described golf addict and loves gardening and reading American history. You can reach him at jsirrine.mail@gmail.com. Thank You, Loyal Alumni Your Gifts Are Making an Impact Legacy Founders ($100 Monthly/$1,200+ Annually) Daniel Binder '85 Arthur Nicholas '85 John Hartline '90 Crescent Level ($50 Monthly/$600 Annually) Richard Dickinson '67 Steven Kibler '85 Jason Baranowski '97 Jon Bowerman '03 Star Level ($25 Monthly/$300 Annually) Thomas Eastwood '64 John Pugsley '64 Ernest Dunn '67 Edward Michael '67 Mehmet Altin '68 James Lumsden '68 John Sirrine '68 Peter Lund '04 Douglas Barritt '08 Samuel DeBruin '12 Trevor Grantham '14 Mitchell Bieniek '16 Young Alumni Level ($15 Monthly/$180 Annually) Patrick McEvoy '57 Garald McLellan '60 Humam Shiehadeh '86 David Ball '91 Ian McEachern '16 John Abernethy Samuel Barsh Nick Eyen Will Garvin Jackson Joyce Jacob Kawahara Ryan Khoury Brendan Murray Nirav Patel Dylan Rich Noah Salhaney Jason Shimoyama Oscar Soberg Max Topping Mike Vintzel Rhys Wastell Shutian Yang Congratulations, 2024 Seniors! HOMETOWN "SAINT" John Sirrine '68 Lives to Serve A Surprising Sainthood

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