In Memoriam

Delta Upsilon remembers the lives and legacies of four exceptional brothers.

Nicholas Giorgianni
Kent State '56

Brother Nicholas Giorgianni, Kent State ’56, passed away on Jan. 26, 2024, just two days shy of his 90th birthday.

Born on Jan. 28, 1934, to Frank and Mary Giorgianni, Nick was an alumnus of John Adams High School and Kent State University. He served in the U.S. Army before beginning his career, which was primarily with the companies Sohio and BP America.

Since his Initiation, Delta Upsilon held a warm place in Brother Giorgianni's heart. He served on the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity Board of Directors from 1991-1994 and received the DU's Founders Medal in 2005 for his dedication to the International Fraternity and the Kent State Chapter.

Brother Giorgianni is survived by his wife Alda; son Mark, Kent State ’91, daughter Lisa, and son Paul.

Upon hearing of his passing, many DU brothers left notes on Brother Giorgianni's obituary webpage. One such note from Jeff Yingling, Kent State ’91, touched on the impact Nick had on so many. "Mr. Giorgianni was such a great role model for those of us in Delta Upsilon at Kent State University. You could tell the joy he had with helping his son Mark and all of us experience the brotherhood that he treasured so much. Thank you so much Mr. Giorgianni for helping us become better versions of ourselves!"

Nick Giorgianni

Elmer Lee Musil
Kansas State '71

Brother Elmer Lee Musil, Kansas State ’71, passed away on Jan. 25, 2024. Born on Sept. 22, 1949, he spent his life as a farmer, cattleman, seedsman, journalist and community leader.

Brother Musil earned bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural journalism from Kansas State while serving in the ROTC and member of the freshman cross country and track team.

Lee was an avid supporter of Delta Upsilon, serving as a member of the Kansas State Alumni Corporation for many years, as well as the longtime editor of the Kansas State Chapter's alumni magazine, The Avenger. He and his wife, Carolyn, also endowed the Rural Education Scholarship through the Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation to support K-State DUs coming from rural areas. Upon his passing, this fund was merged with a gift honoring Brother Glenn Mull, Kansas State ’73, and is now known as the Musil-Mull Legacy Scholarship with the dual intention of recruiting men from rural areas into the chapter and providing the Kansas State Chapter with scholarships to DU educational programs.

Brother Musil's wife, Carolyn, passed away two months following his death. The couple is survived by their son Richard, and grandchildren Conner and Briezlyn.

"Lee's life and actions personify Delta Upsilon’s Four Founding Principles of Friendship, Character, Culture and Justice" said Frank York, Kansas State ’71. "Lee took great pride utilizing his journalism degree with his work on The Avenger, which highlighted not only the undergraduate news, but also stories of alumni brothers’ successes. Alumni always looked forward to Lee’s publications. Lee was a strong proponent for Delta Upsilon’s mission of Building Better Men, creating a culture and legacy of excellence through personal example."

Benjamin Walkingstick
Oklahoma '52

Brother Benjamin Walkingstick, Oklahoma ’52, passed away on Dec. 27, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of success, charity and civic duty.

Born on Oct. 29, 1930, Brother Walkingstick graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in business before serving two years in the U.S. Air Force. In 1963, he began a 60-year career in banking, eventually taking helm of Union National Bank, one of the oldest banks in the state of Oklahoma. He also started multiple other businesses, including insurance agencies and realty groups.

Fiercely proud of his Cherokee heritage, Brother Walkingstick named his cattle ranch Cherokee Farms and was a supporter of Seminole State College, where he served eight years on the Board of Regents (including one year as president), created a scholarship, and sponsored the construction of a new student union. He has also donated millions of dollars to his alma mater and served eight years on the board of Prince Business College at OU.

He is survived by his wife Bonnie, four children, 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

Brother Walkingstick received Delta Upsilon's highest honor, the Distinguished Delta Upsilon Award, in 2003 and was a generous supporter of the Oklahoma Chapter. Those across Oklahoma and within Delta Upsilon remember him with fondness.

"Generosity goes beyond monetary gifts. It encompasses kindness and the impact one makes on other people’s lives," said International Fraternity Board Member Tim Dowd, Oklahoma ’75. "Ben's time and his financial gifts have had a major impact on the Oklahoma Chapter and created positive ripples in the lives of the numerous men who came through the chapter. Whenever the Oklahoma Chapter needed help, Ben was always willing to help. He was truly dedicated to DU."

John Weisel
Oregon '48

Brother John Weisel, Oregon ’48, passed away on Dec. 2, 2023, at the age of 97. Born on June 27,1926, he led a distinguished career as an ophthalmologist.

Dr. Weisel received his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Oregon and joined the staff of Medical Eye Center in the late 1950s. He was an early pioneer in cataract removal and lens implantation, and his work contributed to the approval of the intraocular lens by the FDA. Dr. Weisel traveled the world lecturing to other doctors and teaching them to perform the delicate surgery of removing cataract-damaged lenses and replacing them with plastic ones. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Weisel was a long-time supporter and volunteer with Delta Upsilon. In addition to his support of the Oregon Chapter, he served as an Alumni Director on the International Fraternity Board of Directors from 1991-1995 and on the Educational Foundations Board of Trustees from 1999 to the time of his death. In 2009, he received the Distinguished Delta Upsilon Award, the highest award the Fraternity presents to an alumnus.

"John’s kindhearted presence on both the DUIF and DUEF Boards stemmed from his positive undergraduate experience and his fervent desire to make DU even stronger for future generations," said Craig Franz, Bucknell ’75, current Vice-Chairman of the DU Educational Foundation and past Chairman of the International Fraternity. "In those meetings, he was a steady, solid, and effective advocate for strengthening undergraduate programs.”