Friday, February 27, 2015
What a dear and gentle man! I had the privilege to be a student at AF Jr. High when he was principal, to be a member of his LDS Ward and Stake when he served as Patriarch, and to serve with him in the American Legion. He was always kind, gentle, courteous, and patriotic. Because of his concern for the welfare of the young people at the junior high, he asked my dad to volunteer at the school as a drug counselor—to warn us all of the dangers of drugs and to counsel with those who had already experimented. I remember one time when some young men “helped” a young lady from our school into the creek that ran along the east side of the school grounds, and his talk with all the boys at our school that afternoon about the potential dangers associated with getting a girl wet when she might be undergoing her “time of the month”: he was firm, yet kind and soft-spoken, and we all “got the message”. I’ll never forget the way he handled the situation, and I don’t recall a “repeat performance” at the creek thereafter. His love of country resulted in patriotic-themed awards for our school, including (I believe) one called the Valley Forge award, and he was a great sponsor and supporter of the Junior Patriots singing group that represented our school around the State of Utah. Later, he would work with me and others to help put together oratorical contests about the Nation, sponsored by the American Legion, for the youth in our community. He was friendly, approachable, and pleasant to be around. I love him and his dear family; and I wish Marylou and their children the very best. May you be comforted in your loss; and may you realize the amazing impact that Doug had on so many of us!
