A life of service

For Mike Maughan, Ph.D., service was a way of life. In Scouting, he was able to combine his passion for service with archery. Mike believed archery, like life, is guided by a few basic principles. Follow them, and you are assured a true path to your target. Mike was very active as an adult volunteer in every aspect of his Scout troop’s activities, but his special joy was being an archery instructor.

Mike Maughan, Ph.D.

Sadly, before Mike could begin his tenure as a Scoutmaster, he passed away. His family celebrated his legacy of service in two wonderful ways. One was the creation of the Michael Maughan Memorial Fund, which was used to build the Chiron Archery Pavilion at the Sid Richardson Scout Ranch. The beautiful facility was named after Chiron, the mythological Greek archer, which was the logo for Mike’s consulting company.

Following Mike’s wishes, his family consented to eye and tissue donation. Four people in North Texas received grafts, which allowed vision-saving surgeries to take place. Fourteen skin grafts were provided for patients at a regional burn center. Also, 47 bone grafts were provided to 25 health care facilities in 15 states. From ages 13 to 83, from Texas to Arizona, Washington to New York, the gifts from Mike’s donation has touched more than 65 lives.

Mike’s Boy Scout troop at the dedication of the Chiron Archery Pavilion.

At the Chiron Archery Pavilion dedication, Mike’s wife, Onda, remarked on the two legacies Mike left behind. It was obvious the family is equally proud of both. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Maughan family shot the first arrow, and the large crowd of Scouts and family gathered at the pavilion to share stories about Mike. They also showed off the donor status on their driver’s licenses and encouraged others to make the same decision.  

As a Scout, Mike touched many lives as a teacher and mentor. As a donor, he saved lives, preserved vision, promoted mobility, and reduced pain. 

Note: The Boy Scouts of America has a Donor Awareness patch. For more information, please contact Drew Timmons, R.N., at william.timmons@utsouthwestern.edu