This month’s message carries the weight of remembrance, as we honor the memory of Mike Delaney
By Robert L. Thomas Jr.
One of the most exciting things about being Paralyzed Veterans of America’s (PVA) national president is that I get the opportunity to write an article each and every month for all members to read.
These articles are always enjoyable and meant to try and educate readers on a possible new fact or just give them an update on what’s happening with important events that they couldn’t attend.
I always look forward to writing these articles, but there are also periods when I don’t feel enthused to write them. This is usually when I talk about someone who had a profound impact on PVA’s history who passed away.
Unfortunately, this is one of those columns, as we lost PVA past national president Michael “Mike” Delaney in August.
Mike was very instrumental in numerous things at PVA. One of the most important was his impact on helping make the decision to purchase the former national office headquarters building at 801 18th Street NW in Washington, D.C. PVA used this building for more than 20 years.
To give you some background about Mike, he was an Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War era. After he returned home in 1971, he sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in an automobile accident. Mike did his rehab at the Wade Spinal Cord Injury Center (now called Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center) in Cleveland.
He didn’t like the lack of resources for the disabled community, so he spent his life trying to change that. He joined PVA in 1972 with the PVA Michigan Chapter and was elected to our executive committee from 1977 to 1982, where he served as a national vice president, national senior vice president and national president.
Mike was also very passionate about sports and recreation and worked a great deal for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. The PVA bass tournament and trapshooting programs were funded by sponsor relationships he worked passionately to petition and maintain. Mike was named a Speedy Award recipient by the PVA Board of Directors in 2011.
Mike was zealous about advocating for the disabled community and his fellow men and women living with spinal cord injury and disease. He was active as a past president and seen as a valuable adviser.
He unfortunately was diagnosed with dementia, which is a horrible disease that takes your memories. However, through it all, his family said within his last months, despite his memory loss, he never forgot PVA.
We’ll miss our fellow patron, but Mike will always be a part of PVA’s eternal chapter, as we follow his wheel path to keep fighting the good fight in making sure the world is more accessible for those living with disabilities.
