Dr. G. Michael Grammer, 68, passed away peacefully at his home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on May 21, 2026, surrounded by his wife, children and pets.

The family is planning a celebration of life memorial to take place Saturday, June 27, 2026, beginning at 2:00 pm at their home, 5411 Bluebird Trail, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074. For questions about the event or directions please text 269-271-0806.

Mike lived a life marked by curiosity, professional generosity, adventure, and a deep devotion to family, friends, students and the geological sciences. To those who knew him best, he was far more than an accomplished professor and internationally respected geoscientist - he was a mentor, storyteller, explorer, devoted husband and father, and a steady source of encouragement, humor, wisdom, and inspiration.

Born on June 21, 1957, in Houston, Texas, to George E. Grammer Jr. and Sylvia E. Campbell Grammer, Mike grew up as the eldest son of four to an Air Force Lt. Colonel in a continually moving military family. A self-described "military brat," he attended ten schools in twelve years and lived all over the country, experiences that helped shape his resilience, discipline, adaptability, and lifelong ability to build a community wherever he went.

Originally planning to study marine biology, Mike attended the University of South Florida where he became equally interested in geology. He combined his interests, using fossils of marine organisms to study carbonate sedimentology and became well known for his work using ancient environments to understand modern deposits that hold natural resources deep within the earth. This work led him into the oil industry, where he spent years working in field geology and developing a profound respect for the land and the people he worked with. His experiences in the field became some of his favorite stories to tell and eventually inspired his transition into academia.

Mike went on to become Regents Professor and Chesapeake Energy Chair of Petroleum Geology in the Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University. Internationally recognized for his expertise in carbonate sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, he devoted his career to understanding the evolution of marine depositional systems and mentoring the next generation of geoscientists. Over the course of a distinguished career, he held faculty positions at the University of Miami, Western Michigan University, and Oklahoma State University, while also spending a decade working directly in the energy industry.

As a scholar, Mike authored or co-authored more than 140 publications, edited major professional volumes, served as an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, and taught professional field courses internationally. He received numerous honors for research and education, including the AAPG Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award and the Robert H. Dott, Sr. Award for Best Special Publication.

But for Mike, teaching and mentorship were never confined to the classroom. He believed geology - and life itself - was best understood with muddy boots, endless questions, and a willingness to venture into the unknown. His graduate field courses and carbonate geology excursions became transformative experiences for countless students and young scientists. He combined rigorous scientific standards with patience, humor, and genuine investment in the lives of those he taught.

His children were fortunate to travel alongside him and his graduate students, sharing adventures, campfires, discoveries, tin foil hats and the joy of learning together. Whether in the Bahamas, Curaçao, Belize, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Tunisia, Venezuela, Brazil, or countless places in between, Mike approached the world with enthusiasm and a keen scientific mind. A rock hammer was often essential - and sometimes a wetsuit or snorkel.

Though he maintained a strong and disciplined exterior, Mike was gentle and deeply proud at heart. He treasured family breakfasts, steak dinners, evenings around the fire pit, reading beside his wife, and quiet moments at home listening to music late into the night. He had an eclectic taste that ranged from Fleetwood Mac and Jimmy Buffett to Tracy Chapman, Indigo Girls, Celtic Women and Garth Brooks. Proud of his Scottish heritage, he loved the sound of Scottish fiddles and drums, enjoyed sailing, hiking, skiing, scuba diving, fossil collecting, camping, and traveling to new places.

Above all else, Mike was profoundly proud of his family, his students, and the life he built with his wife of nearly 46 years, Susan Friel Grammer, whom he married on June 14, 1980, in Richmond, Virginia. Their partnership and friendship anchored his life.

He was a loving and devoted father to Kirsten Michelle Grammer and Ryan Campbell Grammer, always eager to celebrate their accomplishments, support their dreams, and make them laugh. Beneath his academic rigor and professional accomplishments was a protective heart devoted to those he loved most. Anyone who knew him at all also knew the love he held for his dogs over the years. His Goldens have held such special places as sailboat co-captains, cross country ski guides, hiking trail buddies and in his last decade nationally certified therapy dogs. He was always so proud to introduce and share Toby "Tobiwan Kenobi", Jackson and Finnley to serve his community and his university.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Scott M. Grammer.

He is survived by his wife, Susan Friel Grammer; his daughter, Kirsten Michelle Grammer; his son, Ryan Campbell Grammer; his sisters, Dr. Theresa Grammer Peace (Wes) and Tracye Grammer Wood (David and children - Justin, Jordan and Garrett); and many beloved friends, colleagues, former students, and community members whose lives were forever enriched by knowing him.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Hospice of Stillwater, Stillwater Medical Center and Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mike's colleagues, friends, and all those who offered support, kindness, and care throughout his illness.

Those who loved Mike will remember his steady presence, adventurous spirit, deep compassion, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering belief that learning and discovery should never stop. His legacy lives on in the family he cherished, the students he guided, the colleagues he inspired, and the many lives touched by his dedication.

In lieu of customary remembrances, please make donations in Mike's name to one of the following, HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response www.hopeaacr.org, Alliance for Therapy Dogs www.therapydogs.com, or to Wounded Warriors Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org.