LEWISBURG — Members of the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity will remember one of their most tireless alumni advisors during Homecoming Weekend at Bucknell University.
A Celebration of Life to honor Thomas R. Deans — a member of the Bucknell Class of 1955 — will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in Bucknell University’s Rooke Chapel. He passed away Oct. 28, 2021.
Deans was honored just last year when PLT’s Chapter House at Bucknell University was renamed the Thomas R. Deans House in tribute to his more than 66 years of mentoring.
During a 2021 interview, Deans said as a student at Bucknell University he was drawn to PLT as the one fraternity that welcomed individuals regardless of race or culture.
Deans founded Thomas R. Deans and Associates, a planning and preservation consultancy, and was an investor and organizer for downtown revitalization in Milton. He started the statewide Pennsylvania Preservation Organization and was involved in historic and civic organizations throughout his life, including coaching Little League for six years.
In 1955, he volunteered as secretary of the fraternity alumni association, starting a tenure that included terms as president, vice president and alumni advisor. He consistently encouraged PLT to adhere to its goal of integrated membership, saying, “Fraternities by their fraternal nature are trying to find people they’re comfortable with. We’re trying to find people we’re uncomfortable with.”
