OPINION:
A great man was born into eternal life this week. Michael Reagan passed away Sunday surrounded by his family. Many people knew him as the eldest son of former President Ronald Reagan.
He was certainly proud of that distinction, but we at Young America’s Foundation knew him as so much more. He was a wonderful inspiration. That was particularly true when it came to the students who heard him at YAF’s programs at the Reagan Ranch.
Michael did so much more than share stories about his father. He challenged the next generation to share the values he stood for throughout his public life. He called on them to be happy warriors in the battle to uphold the founding principles of our republic.
I first got to know Michael Reagan years ago by listening to his radio show while driving to and from the state Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. I enjoyed his insights on the news of the day.
Years later, I got to know him personally after becoming president of YAF. He was a fixture at our student programs in California. Michael and his family frequently returned to Rancho del Cielo for public and private events. He and his daughter, Ashley, also headlined the very first program YAF hosted in Dixon, Illinois, after our acquisition of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home.
Unfortunately for all of us, the Good Lord decided to call Michael home sooner. He and I discussed his faith and devotion to Jesus. That should give us all comfort during this difficult time, as Michael is with the Lord.
One of my colleagues, Andrew Coffin, knew Michael even better, as he began working at the Reagan Ranch in October 1998. Today, Mr. Coffin is the director of the ranch and a YAF vice president. Here is part of his moving tribute to Michael:
“With Ronald Reagan, what you saw was what you got. There was no facade. You perhaps get the most profound sense of that authenticity when you visit Rancho del Cielo, President Reagan’s beloved Santa Barbara ranch home. His faith, humility, patriotism and work ethic — all are on display in very personal and poignant ways at the ranch.
No perspective on Ronald Reagan, though, has been more important than that of his son Michael. Since the earliest days of this project, Michael worked alongside Young America’s Foundation to share his father’s legacy and ideas with new generations.
Among many other YAF activities, Michael was typically the opening speaker at each of our high school conferences at the Reagan Ranch. He did a remarkable job setting the stage for the entire week — especially in laying the groundwork for the experience young people have when they walk in Ronald Reagan’s footsteps at Rancho del Cielo. Michael helped these future leaders better understand how Ronald Reagan’s life at the ranch connects to his character and values.
We were at the ranch one day several years ago for a film project when Michael looked around the simple, 19th-century adobe his father called home and said, “Without this place, the Berlin Wall still stands.”
Michael understood well the way the ranch gave his father a respite from the pressures of his office and the courage to face the challenges ahead. Staying grounded at the ranch is part of what made Ronald Reagan a transformational leader.
That simple turn of phrase is a reminder that Michael, as well as his father, was a uniquely gifted communicator. He never spoke with notes, explaining that the few times he tried to work from a script, the speeches were failures.
Instead, Michael was a storyteller. He would often explain that his father spoke in parables, and Michael did the same. Vignettes from Michael’s childhood helped illuminate his father’s character, his faith, his love for his country — even his tax policy. (Michael once asked for a raise to his allowance, something his father promised to do … once a president was in office who would cut his taxes.)
Students who heard Michael speak gravitated to that same sense of authenticity that made his father such a successful leader. Few who had the privilege of listening to his stories will soon forget Michael’s describing Ronald Reagan’s long-held desire to say, “Nyet” to a Soviet leader, something he was finally able to do with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.
There were few dry eyes in the room as Michael described his elderly, Alzheimer’s-ridden father standing in the doorway, waiting with arms outstretched, because Michael had forgotten to give him a hug goodbye.
What a wonderful tribute to a great man.
When I told a friend that Michael had passed, she noted that when her granddaughter came back from a high school conference at the Reagan Ranch years ago, she said that Michael Reagan had been her favorite speaker. That, along with his family — wife Colleen, son Cameron, daughter Ashley and grandchildren — will be Michael Reagan’s greatest legacy.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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