"May you have all the Irish blessings"

DMAW Stalwart Mike O'Hara Passes


MikeOhara

Mike O'Hara, honorary lifetime member of DMAW, died on the morning of May 14. Mike was a stalwart supporter of and beloved contributor to DMAW for over 40 years. He served as DMAW president in 1992, and in 1998 was named DMAW's Professional of the Year (since renamed the Distinguished Achievement in Direct Marketing). In 2007, Mike was awarded the Sisk Award for Direct Marketing Vision. In addition, Mike served on the DMAW Educational Foundation board for over 10 years.

Mike started the AB&C Group, a direct response processing company, as a one-person business in 1972. The company became a powerhouse in the direct marketing industry, serving many of the nation’s most prominent catalog and nonprofit marketers and employing over 500 staff members when Mike sold the company in 2006.

In 2008, the O’Hara Leadership Award in Education was created to honor Mike’s lifelong commitment to education, which earned him an honorary Ph.D. from Shepherd University in 2000. He provided financial support that helped hundreds of AB&C Group staff members earn college degrees and participate in continuing education programs. As chairman of the Rice University Society of Family Friends, he led nationwide fundraising efforts that resulted in a record gift-giving year. He also served on the board to raise money for building the Children First School in West Virginia.

In announcing Mike's selection as Professional of the Year in 1992, Sherry Marshall, former DMAW executive director and a longtime personal friend of Mike’s, wryly alluded to Mike’s well known fashion flair, saying, "Working quietly behind the scenes -- where he can be easily overlooked because of his unusually conservative attire -- Mike O'Hara has been a steadfast supporter of DMAW for decades.”

Marshall continued, saying, “We are fortunate for his good sense, good humor, generosity, and unflagging commitment to DMAW’s mission. He believes that DMAW is not just an association, it is an association of people, and that we all benefit from the relationships we form over the years. He brings not only vision but strength to the organization, and to everyone who has benefited from it."

In 2007, Mike joined such direct marketing greats as Lester Wunderman, Martin Bayer, Lillian Vernon, Morris Dees, Austin Kiplinger, Roger Craver, and Richard Viguerie in being awarded the Sisk Award for Direct Marketing Vision. In her tribute to Mike on that occasion, 2002 DMAW President Virginia Fleischman wrote the following: "Mike O'Hara joins some of the best and brightest of our industry when he receives the Sisk Award for Direct Marketing Vision from the DMAW Educational Foundation. The spyglass given to Sisk Award recipients is emblematic of the exploration each individual made in becoming an industry leader …Mike's brand of ‘high-touch’ fulfillment underscores how much he deserves to be the 2007 Sisk Award recipient … I feel that Mike O'Hara simply is ‘Mr. DMAW.’ …Mike understood that his clients' success hinged on meeting or exceeding the expectations of clients' customers. By the time he sold it, the AB&C Group was a major order-processing and fulfillment company with multi-million dollar sales. His vision and commitment to his clients account for a great deal of the company's success. Mike viewed his customers and suppliers alike as part of his ‘clan,’ and believed that, by working together, the clan could achieve success. …His commitment to our industry and his willingness to pitch in and lend a hand, are truly inspiring.”

In words of tribute following his death, Fleischman echoed much of the correspondence and conversation exchanged in the direct marketing community. "Mike was a unique and special soul. He was devoted to his friends, family, and clan. Larger than life in many ways, he unfortunately met a challenge he could not overcome with his smarts, charm, and hard work. His illness was an opponent he fought with determination, humor, and reality. For many of us it was an honor to have him as a friend. He will be missed indeed.”