Tad DeLuca

Tad DeLuca is a retired middle school teacher from Gaylord, Michigan, and a licensed 3rd Assistant Marine Engineer, qualified to operate the engine rooms of any U.S.-flagged freighter on the Great Lakes or ocean routes. Known for his love of Star Trek, RC airplanes, bike rides, and his tractors, Tad was pulled out of a peaceful retirement by fellow survivor Jon Vaughn. Leaving behind a town he had long avoided, Tad joined a growing survivor community seeking healing, justice, and connection through shared stories and public presence.

In October 2021, he joined the Hail to the Victims encampment at 815 ½ South University, where he listened to countless testimonies from students, faculty, and staff. Though the weight of these stories was initially overwhelming, Tad’s journey is now shaped by healing through listening, processing long-buried memories, and finding strength in solidarity with others.

“I heard my first of many MSU/Nassar stories in 2016. In February of 2020, I told my Michigan story and then heard scores of stories very similar to mine. While at the Hail to the Victims encampment at 815 ½ South University starting in October of 2021, students, faculty, and staff told us what had happened to them. I didn’t want to hear these stories. I called my wife Kay and told her how upsetting it was and asked her, ‘What should I do?’ Instead of telling me to come home, she told me, ‘Just listen.’ It was not what I wanted to hear. Now, I am so glad that I did listen. These stories have helped me process 42+ years of memories of my time at Michigan. Every story has helped me. Every person I have met has helped me. Simply rehearsing my lines with Jon and Chuck is helping me.”