Michael K. Deaver 1938 - 2007

Michael Deaver, Vice Chairman of Edelman International, passed away on August 18, 2007 at 8:00am. Mike was diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer last fall, and passed away at his Bethesda home in the company of his loving family.
Mike Deaver was a giant in our field. His professional career spanned five decades, on behalf of heads of state and captains of industry around the world. He will be remembered for countless contributions to the art of communications, and for his years of service to our country in the stead of his longtime friend and boss, President Ronald Reagan, whom he started working with shortly after Reagan was elected California governor in 1966.

For the past 15 years we had the tremendous fortune of knowing Mike as one of our family members at Edelman. He sat at the head of the table here in the Washington office, and was a beloved and deeply valued colleague to our agency friends around the world. From the moment he joined Edelman in the spring of 1992 he changed the way we were perceived by the outside world and how we felt about ourselves. He immediately elevated our standing in the public affairs arena and gave us instant credibility, enabling us to take on the toughest public relations challenges.

For all of these reasons, Mike Deaver was viewed as the wisest of the wise men, and all of his colleagues and clients marveled at, and benefited from, his counsel. In our profession, one which he took great pride in being part of, he was and will always remain the master.

The time has come to rest sweetly, dear friend. Your job is done, the race is won. God bless you always.

Nancy Reagan