Alpha Delta Phi - University of Michigan

2 | the peninsular S uccess—whatever that means to a given person or organization—is strongly tied to the people involved. The brothers Sean O'Leary '91 met in the Peninsular chapter house had a massive impact on his life, which he has strived to honor ever since. "The brothers challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and being around them made me a better person," he said. Sean is still in touch with many of those ADPhi brothers; some have enjoyed an annual golf weekend for 28 years and counting. "There's a lot of value and comfort in knowing that I can call any of these guys at any point for anything, and they'll be there. It was, and is, a tight-knit group." Sean was the only freshman member of his pledge class, and joining ADPhi his first semester helped him make new friends coming from a small town in Michigan. Living in the chapter house his last three years afforded him multiple leadership positions from pledge master and athletic director to chapter president. This was a great era for the fraternity with many brothers living in the house. Their parties were well- attended with creative themes, and Michigan football games were a central part of the fall social calendar—including the 1989 Rose Bowl trip, where a brother's parents hosted about two dozen of the guys. "We all had a great experience, and I think that's one of the reasons we became (and have stayed) so close." Sean grew a lot through those four years with Peninsular, and he continued that fulfillment as a member of the Peninsular Society and capital campaign. BRANCHING OUT Sean joined the Peninsular Society not long after Jason Sparks '02 realized his singular position as the chapter's alumni representative was better suited for a board. In his five years on the board, Sean focused primarily on fundraising and helping the board grow to better serve its undergraduate brothers. Such board discussions aligned closely with the Preserve Our Future – Restore 556 State Street campaign, which Sean co-chaired with Art Nicholas '85. With strong bonds, grown kids, and more disposable income, Sean's era brothers made a large impact on the campaign. Sean knew the importance of large campaign gifts from other boards he served on and was proud his class could play a role in Peninsular's successful chapter house renovation. "Between that campaign and forming a functional board, the last 10 years have been a transformational time for our fraternity," Sean said. "My time on the board introduced me to a lot of great brothers from outside my era." Whether through the Peninsular Society or other opportunities, Sean encourages alumni of any age to volunteer with Alpha Delta Phi, meeting new people and learning more about the world in the process. STICKING TOGETHER One of Sean's favorite fraternity moments was attending the opening of the renovated chapter house—alongside the most alumni he's ever seen together. He always looks forward to his group's annual outing, which they call "The Shindig." ("My wife and kids always know that Dad is booked that weekend!") Sean lives in Bend, Oregon, where he loves staying active outdoors. He travels frequently for work and enjoys seeing friends and football games along the way. Sean has a passion for team-building and has spent much of his career helping start-ups grow—not unlike his work with the Peninsular Board. His son Evan '18 is also an alumnus of Peninsular. Want to connect? Reach Sean at sean.oleary5@gmail.com. ALWAYS GROWING TOGETHER Sean O'Leary '91 Maintains Peninsular Ties Whether through the Peninsular Society or other opportunities, Sean encourages alumni of any age to volunteer with Alpha Delta Phi, meeting new people and learning more about the world in the process. Larry Brown '56 lives in a retirement community in Lake Forest, Ill. Larry is very active in community affairs; he serves as chairman of the finance committee and VP of the resident advisory council, and he runs sports talk and poker groups. His health is good, but he has decided to give up tennis and curling. Email: ablbcurler@aol.com John Runyan Jr. '69 lives in Lathrup Village, Mich., and enjoys time with his three children and eight grandchildren. He also loves keeping up with UM sports. Email: jrunyan@michlabor.legal Ralph Harris '72 is a proud member of the Peninsular Society, working to restore the chapter house and recruit new members. He lives in Ann Arbor, Mich. Email: ralphharris1935@att.net Jeffrey "Duke" DuComb '76 retired from Ford in 2019 after 41 great years (20 of which were overseas). Starting in 2020, Duke and two nephews work at W.C. DuComb Co., a family business started by his grandfather in 1915. Duke and Dawn live in Bingham Farms, Mich., and have two grown sons. Duke's key interests include skiing, biking, riding for Make-A- Wish, and golfing. Email: jducomb@aol.com Mark Kissinger '87 "failed" at retirement and is working part time at the New York State Assembly Health Committee. He lives in Delmar, N.Y. Email: mkissw2@gmail.com Joe Fredal '93 made a career change after 30 years in the automotive industry: he is now happily employed as the head of the FCS department, teaching foods classes at Berkley High School in Berkley, Mich. Joe's oldest son is studying to become a certified mechanic, and his youngest began attending the University of Michigan this fall. Email: fredaljg@yahoo.com What words come to mind when you think about Peninsular Chapter? "Brothers, parties." –Robert Hilton '66 "Brotherhood, friendship, good times." –John Runyan Jr. '69 What are your favorite memories from living at the chapter house and/ or spending time with brothers at the University of Michigan? "Sitting on the front porch; lunches." –Robert Hilton '66 "Pledge formals, serenades, chapter meetings." –John Runyan Jr. '69 What keeps you connected to Alpha Delta Phi as an alumnus? "John Burpee '69 has done a great job of engaging the classes of 1967-70." –John Runyan Jr. '69 Alumni Updates

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