If royalty existed within our ranks of Sigma Pi at Oakland University, you wouldn’t have to look beyond Brother Alan Scott as an embodiment of all that it should be.
A consummate gentleman. A mentor, advisor, and friend whose personality always made you feel important and brought a measure of respect and admiration wherever he went.
He was a kind and gentle soul who made our Sigma Pi chapter at Oakland University shine from the very start.
“If I needed to provide an example of what the royal family would be like, it would be him: reserved, resolved, well-spoken, driven, determined, classy, and cool all at once,” said former chapter director and Founding Brother Chuck Surinck.
An alumnus of William & Mary College in Virginia, where he joined our fraternity as a young man, Alan made an indelible mark on our lives in Southeast Michigan during his professional life and more than 40 years in OU’s career placement services.
For many of us in Zeta Pi, he served as a mentor, advisor, friend, and fraternity brother from the early chapter days to long after his retirement in 2004.
We said goodbye to Alan on May 8, 2025, as our brother entered the Adytum on High at 83 years old.
A Founding Advisor
Alan was born and raised in the Boston area before becoming a nearly 60-year transplant to Michigan. Known by the affectionate nickname “Scotty” to many family and friends, he was a proud U.S. Army veteran who served his country in domestic intelligence.
He had graduated from The College of William & Mary (ROTC), where he initiated as part of Sigma Pi’s Alpha-Eta Chapter on May 9, 1960. He later earned his MBA at Indiana University.
“Scotty was a gentle soul who was as thoughtful as he was polite. He could strike up a conversation with strangers anywhere in Michigan or the world, for that matter, finding new friends along every step of life. Scotty’s remarkable life was characterized by his humble, patient nature, quick wit, and kind words.”
Of course, he spent many years as our Zeta Pi faculty advisor, having first joined Sigma Pi at William & Mary.
“Alan played a significant role in the establishment of the fraternity,” Surinck said, recalling the early formative years in 1985 when the colony was first known as Omega Nu Pi (aka Oakland’s New Pioneers). But when the original national fraternity didn’t pan out, Sigma Pi became the fraternity of choice.
“That’s where Alan came into the picture. We needed a faculty advisor, and that was a perfect fit for Alan, who worked in Career Services and was happy to take on the role of Faculty Advisor for our fledgling chapter,” he said.
“The bonus with Alan was that he was a Sigma Pi, as well,” Surinck said. “He stepped forward when he heard we were on campus as Omega Nu Pi and were going Sigma Pi.”
Surinck added, “Understand the luck of that. It was all before the Internet, computers, and cell phones. He most likely saw a rush flyer posted in Van Wagner and put 2-and-2 together and stepped up for us. Alan’s quiet, regal presence gave Zeta Pi some class and clout on the campus.”
His personal attention
Brother Mike Grant of the Tau pledge class in 1994 recalls Alan making a point of meeting every new member each semester and getting to know each person. If you add up the hours spent with new pledges alone over his many years as our Chapter Advisor, Grant says you’d just begin to understand Alan’s commitment to Sigma Pi.
Grant said, “Every time you met Alan, after initial pleasantries were over, the very first thing he would ask was, ‘How is the Chapter?’ He didn’t say it in a way that it was just a conversation starter. He really meant it. He wanted to know. The health of our Chapter meant so much to him. Every conversation also ended the same way. ‘Tell the Chapter that they have to rush.’ He loved Sigma Pi deeply.”
Brother Matt Karrandja from the Pi pledge class in the mid-1990s, said Alan was one of the men who inspired him to join our brotherhood. Alan got Matt his first OU job and eventually mentored him in career services.
“You could talk with him for hours, and I truly mean hours each day,” Karrandja said. Humble, professional, dedicated, and helpful are just a few words that describe Alan.”
Brother Alex Zurawsky remembers being on the fence about Sigma Pi in Fall 2002. But when he attended that year’s Pig Roast, he struck up a conversation while in line for pulled pork. That chat was with a “soft-spoken, eloquent older man with a bright purple jacket and hat that was emblazoned with the letters ΣΠ.
“I asked him if he was there to support his grandson, to which he smiled and politely said, “No.” He explained that he was a member of the Alpha Chapter and had graduated long ago, but lived locally and came to support his fraternity.”
After Zurawsky pledged our fraternity, he recalls Alan attending meetings and telling stories of his younger days, saying, “He had made lifelong friends and had a network upon which he could always rely. That was a determining factor for me in deciding to initiate. Lifelong friends and a commitment to an organization and its ideals.”
Many of us can credit Alan for taking a personal interest in our lives and careers.
When I graduated in 2001, Alan’s many hours of mentorship, along with a personal connection to the then-owner of a nearby newspaper, landed me my first and definitive job at the Spinal Column Newsweekly.
He was a key part of my career development in those early years after college, and I wouldn’t be where I am without his presence in my life.
Lasting legacy
Brother John Zielke of the Alpha pledge class agrees that Alan’s legacy is long and profound.
“He had a rare gift: he was always easy to talk with and had a remarkable way of guiding brothers, even future spouses, toward their paths in life. He listened quietly, thoughtfully, and when the moment called for it, he would circle back with words of wisdom that carried real weight. That kind of presence is rare, and it made a deep impact on so many of us.”
Since 2004, our chapter has awarded the Alan R. Scott Scholarship Award to an undergraduate brother each year, typically during the Orchid Ball event each spring. This award goes to a young brother who exemplifies service to the college, community, and fraternity.
As we mark our Chapter’s 40th anniversary in 2026, and the first without Alan here, this recognition will likely carry even more weight and symbolism as we move forward.
Alan’s family shared this beautiful obituary that is worth checking out.
Rest in peace, Brother Scotty.
