“Mike Birck was a Boilermaker through and through,” says Leah Jamieson, The John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. “Purdue students and faculty will benefit for generations from his generosity. We will always be grateful that Mike Birck embraced Purdue as part of his family, and we will miss him.”

Birck began his telecommunications career with AT&T’s Bell Telephone Laboratories and held executive positions with Continental Telephone Laboratories and Wescom Inc. In 1975, he co-founded Tellabs, which designs, manufactures, markets, and services data, voice and video transport, and network access systems for the communications industry. In 2013 he retired from the company, and was the company’s second-largest shareholder when Tellabs was purchased later that year by the private equity firm Marlin Equity Partners.

He served as a Purdue University Trustee from 1999 to 2013. He was also was a generous benefactor of Purdue Athletics and made numerous other contributions to Purdue and other causes.

Birck is survived by his wife, Katherine, and three children — Kevin, Joni and Christopher — and seven grandchildren. One of his grandchildren is currently pursuing a Purdue PhD in ECE.