Love of People Becomes Lasting Legacy

To understand the impact that Maggie Allesee had on so many lives around OU, one need not look far. Her selflessness can be seen across campus in programs and academics, but most importantly in the many people whose lives she touched in ways big and small. Margaret “Maggie” Allesee passed away on January 27, 2023, leaving a legacy at Oakland University that will endure for generations to come.

For all the worthwhile projects Maggie supported on campus and beyond, nothing was more important to her than investing in people. Following a visit to campus, Maggie once famously quipped, “Kids love pizza, let’s go to Buddy’s.” She demonstrated a keen interest in students and loved to learn what was important to them. Her interest in philanthropy was rooted in her love of people and building relationships. Maggie treated each and every person she met like a friend.

As a former director of the OU Foundation, Maggie maintained strong ties to OU as a member of multiple committees in support of the campaign, the School of Music Theatre and Dance and the School of Nursing. To recognize her decades of involvement both on campus and off, she was presented the OU Alumni Association’s Honorary Alumni Award, the School of Nursing Board of Visitors Legend Award and an Oakland University Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

Maggie was an enthusiastic and generous supporter of Oakland University for many years, with gifts of significant impact to the School of Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Quite simply, lives were changed because of Maggie’s commitment to philanthropy both at OU and throughout metro Detroit and surrounding communities. If the truest measure of a life well-lived is defined by one’s legacy, the OU community is a testament to the incredible life lived by Maggie and her selfless commitment to make the world around her a better place.