Gary Morin ’71 is Reminded Just How Much Phi Delt Meant to Him
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Looking back at his Phi Delt days, Gary Morin ’71 quickly realizes that the fraternity meant more to him than he often gives it credit for.
“Phi Delt is really the only root I feel I have to Ohio State,” he admits.
With Ohio State being such a big school, Gary explains that Phi Delt gave him a “home” on campus and friends he could identify with. The older brothers also played a key role in helping him navigate the sometimes tricky transition from high school to college.
“There was always someone to answer my questions about classes and professors,” he says.
But the brothers of Phi Delt weren’t the only ones making an impact on Gary. There was one other positive influence—Mom Sandberg.
“Mom Sandberg would insist upon certain behavior,” Gary says. “There were so many things I learned from her, like how to have a fine dining experience and how to treat other people. Some people learn those things at home, but I hadn’t. It had nothing to do with academics, and everything to do with becoming a gentleman.”
And, although they had a housemother, there was still lot of fun to be had. After all, the drinking age at that time was 18, so the Phi Delts frequented some of the local bars, including Don’s on Wednesday nights and the Char Bar. Gary also recalls a particularly fun trip to an Ohio State vs. Michigan away game. Having gotten married between his junior and senior years, Gary didn’t live in the house and had an obligation to hold down a job.
“At the time, I was stocking grocery shelves,” he explains. “We had a bus arranged to go to the game and I hadn’t gotten a chance to get any sleep. Of course, we started to drink on our way up. It was a cold day, but we sat and enjoyed ourselves. Some of us didn’t even wear coats. I was beat, but it was a very fun and memorable trip.”
These days, Gary keeps in touch with brothers and does see them occasionally. He lives on the same street as Bobby Paxton ’69, which gives him an opportunity to see pledge brother Dan Paxton ’71 (Bobby’s brother) when he’s in town. He has also used the legal services of Brother Bob Dunlevey ’69 (Dunlevey, Mahan & Furry) in the past.
Gary would love to hear more from brothers in the classes of 1970 and 1971, though. So don’t hesitate to reach out to him at [email protected].
Thanks to his positive experience, Gary also makes it a point to support Ohio Zeta financially.
“I’ve been fortunate and I want to give others the opportunities I had,” he says. “The school has only grown since I was there and young men need a place they can feel at home.”
Today, Gary is retired after a successful career that took him from several financial and operating positions to his final job as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lexmark International. Despite having lived in five different states and 13 different houses, Gary truly enjoyed his career.
Now, he spends his time raising his children and squeezes in a few games of golf and tennis once in a while. Gary essentially has two families. He has two grown children and five grandchildren from his first marriage, which lasted 27 years. He’s now been remarried for 18 years, and he and his wife are raising three adopted daughters from China.
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