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June 14, 1943 – May 22, 2024
Professor Don DeBats, 80, formerly of Alpena, died suddenly on May 22, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. As requested, his final resting place will be Evergreen Cemetery, Alpena.
Don was born in Alpena on June 14, 1943, a beloved only child of the late Clarence and Edna DeBats. Clarence and Edna managed the DeBats Appliance store on Main Street for more than 50 years.
After graduating from Alpena High School, Don went on to earn a B.A. and M.A. from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He moved to Australia in 1970, where he began a distinguished academic career, including serving as the long-standing Head of American Studies at Flinders University in South Australia and the Foundation Director of the Jeff Bleich Center for the US Alliance in Digital Technology, Security and Governance. He was the Chair of the Fulbright Commission and held research appointments at several academic institutions in the USA, most recently at the University of Virginia.
Don's research combining political history with geospatial analysis was supported by the National Endowment for Humanities and the Australian Research Council. He made a significant contribution to the field of American studies and political history, with more than 100 publications to his name.
Don was a popular and respected professor who inspired the thousands of students who took his classes and faced his pop quizzes with trepidation and admiration. They encountered not only a sharp mind that challenged their thinking, but also a supportive mentor. He established the landmark Flinders Washington Internship Program and relished giving his students the opportunity to work at Capitol Hill, an experience that changed the trajectory of many lives.
He had a love of adventure off the beaten track and revelled in experiences like exploring remote villages in Papua New Guinea, helming a sailing ship in Antarctica, and landing by military plane on the USS Constellation aircraft carrier.
However, whatever the pull that took him to other parts of the world, Don's compass always pointed back to Alpena, his True North, and he returned often throughout his life. He lived out an unwavering devotion to his loving parents who cherished their only child and passed on the values that guided him always.
Alongside his academic successes, he was an adored and adoring father to Alice and Claire, inspiring their love of learning. He later welcomed his step-children, Thea and Matti, and embraced them into his world. He always showed his love and his pride in his children, and was integrally involved in their lives, providing guidance, support and words of wisdom at every stage.
He was devoted to his wife and partner in life, Margaret-Ann. Together they wove a life of conversation, music, and loving companionship.
He was a proud grandfather to Sophia, Josh, Charlie, Abby, Max, August, and Miila Indi. He will be dearly missed.
Friends and family are welcomed to his interment at Evergreen Cemetery on June 29 at 11 a.m. McWilliams Funeral Home is assisting the family.