Michael Lee DeBacker

Michael Lee DeBacker died peacefully on April 28th 2016. He was born on his family farm in Topeka, Kansas on February 11, 1947 to Joann and Arthur DeBacker. Mike spent his early life on the farm and moved with his family “to town” when he was 6. He attended Most Pure Heart and Hayden High School in Topeka. Mike was an Eagle Scout, Football player and Student Council President and graduated from Hayden in 1965. Mike met Johanna (Jody) Nichols at Hayden and it was there that they started their life long adventure together. Mike and Jody married on July 20th, 1968 while Mike was attending Washburn University. Mike graduated, Suma Cum Laude, from Washburn with a degree in Political Science and stayed at Washburn to attend law school. He worked nights at the Goodyear plant during school and all 4 of his little kids were there when he graduated as one of the top 5 students in his class at The Washburn University School of Law (Go Ichabods!). After passing the bar, Mike worked in the Anti Trust division of the Federal Trade Commission in Kansas City and as a corporate attorney at Phillips 66 Petroleum in Oklahoma. In 1979, he accepted a position at Dana Corporation in Toledo, OH. He worked at Dana as a Corporate Attorney, Assistant General Counsel, and General Counsel. He continued working for the reorganized Dana Holdings Company as its President and CEO until his death. Mike enjoyed working in his vegetable patch, cooking, and was always up for a big, loud family gathering. He mostly enjoyed spending time with his family and, more than anything with his 7 grandchildren who loved him dearly. He loved watching NASCAR races (don’t judge) and investigating any car, boat, train or mechanical thing. He was brilliant, kind, loving and hilarious. Mike was also a life long supporter of the arts and spent many years on the Toledo Ballet Association Board. Mike is survived by his wife Jody (Nichols) DeBacker, son Michael (Laura) DeBacker; daughters Gretchen DeBacker; Jennifer (Liz Casey) DeBacker; Liz (Mike) DeBacker Otto; and grandchildren Hannah, Jack, David, Jillian, Olive, Eloise, and Harriet. He is also survived by his siblings Arthur DeBacker, Jane McIntyre, and Dona (Mark) Nordstrom, as well as many close members of the Nichols family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marie Bollinger Vogt Endowment for The Toledo Ballet, or The Gretchen Gotthart Skeldon Fund. Both of which are managed by The Toledo Community Foundation, www.toledocf.org. Friends may visit at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd. on Sunday, May 1 from 4-7 p.m. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi University Parish. Interment will be private. Please leave a condolence message for the family, and view Mike’s video tribute at CoyleFuneralHome.com.

Tributes

Michael Lee DeBacker

February 11, 1947 - April 28, 2016