Bill Seibert's Letter to the Phi Kaps -- Michael's Frat Brothers

Shared by Bill, Michael's college frat brother, following Michael's Professional Commemoration Celebration April 27, 2007.

Michael was a student in the College of Design, Art and Architecture at the University of Cincinnati in the mid-60’s. He joined Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. The Phi Kaps were mostly local guys from working class families. Many of us were co-op students, alternating between school and work every eight weeks.
We worried about getting a date, paying tuition, making grades and avoiding the Army draft. We drank local 3.2% alcohol beer at Fries Cafe. A bottle  was $0.25 and a pitcher of Hudepohl draft was a buck. (Get moody with Hudy was their slogan.)

We were young men trying to find our place in the world. We had nicknames like Slop, Sleeps, Jaws, Woogles, Barrel, Goose, Foot and Toe... Michael was “Scuby”. Scuby’s leadership and kinetic energy were well known campus wide. As a senior he was honored with the Mr. Bearcat award. He graduated in 1967, The Summer of Love.

Following graduation some brothers stayed in Cincinnati to become doctors, lawyers and architects; to design nuclear power plants and to market toothpaste for P&G. Others left town to make beer cans in Iowa, soap in The Netherlands and semiconductors in the desert. Two left for Vietnam and never came home. Scuby headed to San Francisco to change the world...

Friends and business associates of Michael’s gathered on Treasure  Island last Friday afternoon to celebrate his life. One man attended dressed  with a top hat and a puka-shelled necklace because that’s how he felt Michael  would have dressed for the celebration.  Juli Betwee introduced herself  as Michael’s  one and only wife of 16 years, and she remembered their  exciting time together. She said they were married on the rooftop of her  building in San Francisco. They promised to live a life of fun and excitement  together, and to love each other forever...except on the days that they didn’t  (actually written into their vows)!Following graduation from UC in  1967, Scuby arrived in San Francisco shortly after the “summer of love”. He  easily fit in to the “social activist” SF crowd. However, he realized that  positive change could better be achieved through “social architecture” i.e.  facilitating change through the process of collaboration and planning. To accomplish this, he founded various companies such as Interactive Associates,  Michael Doyle and Assoc. and Pivotpoint Partners.

There were many  testimonials from friends and customers about how Michael changed not only  their organizations but often their lives. His boundless enthusiasm and  generous spirit were often cited.

Here is the best true story of the  day, as recounted by his “Cuba colleague” who was there:

Michael  thought that he could change the world... He REALLY believed it.
One day  in SF in the 70’s he met Peggy Dulany a consultant to the UN. She is  also known as Peggy Dulany Rockefeller, the radical  daughter of David  Rockefeller. She mentioned that she had just returned from a visit with Fidel  Castro. Fidel had said that the Russians were nice people, but they couldn’t  plan for shit. (this was right up Scuby’s alley). Without missing a beat, Mike  soon found himself  meeting with David Rockefeller at Pocantico, the  Rockefeller family compound in NY (were not talking Fries Café here). Soon  thereafter, Peggy, Scuby and a colleague were off to Cuba via  Montreal.
Upon arrival in Cuba,  Peggy went off on some mission while  Scuby and his colleague headed for the beach to pick up chicks. While on the beach word came that Fidel would see them. So, without sleep for 12 hours and  high on Cuban coffee, they cleaned up and went off to the presidential palace.  Striding into the palace comes Scuby, flip charts rolled up under his arm (he  looked like Moses in Ben Hur). With a bodyguard on one side of Fidel and and  translator on the other, Mike soon had taped his flip charts to the beautiful  mosaic walls, and explained how with the right “process” (i.e. Scuby’s), he  could change the Cuban economy. They met with Castro for about eight hours  over the next two days. Scuby returned to Cuba three more times. If nothing else, he introduced the flip chart into Cuban culture!

Most recently he  was working with the directors of United Way to improve their programs for  at-risk children. The Golden Gate Bridge District, upon learning of his  passing, adjourned their meeting with a moment of silence in his  honor.

Tom Hess, a UC grad and friend of Mike’s who lives in SF  recalled how he saw him at the SF Athletic Club just a week before he died.  Scuby had heart trouble and said he had to get the old body back in  shape.

I expressed to his wife Juli the condolences of the Phi Kaps. I  gave her a few old pictures and explained how Scuby was selected as Mr. Bearcat by Sigma Sigma.

Until the end of his days, Scuby’s life  was truly an adventure. He reminded people to have fun, influenced may lives  for the better, was married to the love of his life and found  happiness.

Regards,

Bill  Seibert

For some old Phi  Kap pictures and photos of Mike, Juli and the celebration, Goto:http://web.mac.com/billseibert/iWeb/Site/Scuby.html

Comments

[Judy and Bob Wiesman]

Mike was the best man at our wedding and he truly was. He locked a bowling ball and chain on Bob's ankle but did slide the key into his pocket. Bob's mom did not know this and literally "chewed" Mike out. When told the truth, she ended up baking and sending him a batch of her cookies. Wish we could have stayed in touch, but were unable to locate him until now.

Before our marriage, Mike shared an unstairs apartment with Bob and Jim. They had end tables and book case created by stacking bricks ... bricks Mike "appropriated" from some construction on campus. He was caught by campus police but they not only let him off but didn't take the bricks that he already had in his trunk.

Also remember a wild News Years with Mike and his date in the back of our car. We hit a lot of parties where Mike could be the life of the party. Then, when back in the car he would be snoring until we came to the next party and process kept repeating itself.

Mike ... you have always been larger and life ... our life is a little brighter having know you.