I first met Doug, as a student, at Drake in 1969. He
was larger then life and an excellent instructor with
a craziness that you could not help but like. I
remember our after class art discussions, at
Peggy’s; the steak fry lunches done on the forge,
in old Iowa Hall and later at Farley’s. Doug made
learning a fun experience and you walked away
knowing STUFF sometimes without realizing it.
Doug learned to play the Banjo which he took to
many of the after hours outings…like “So Your
Mothers”, “Peggy’s”, “West end” and so on. I
even built my own banjo, with his guidance,
but never learned to play it.
Doug and Bonnie were always the perfect hosts
for the many students, faculty and friends that
seemed to show up at their home. After leaving
Drake to follow his own dreams I lost contact
with him. Recently I had the opportunity to
rekindle our friendship at his home, in Missouri.
As always Doug and Bonnie were the perfect
hosts and I really enjoyed my time with them.
Even though Doug’s mobility was not what he
would have liked; he still had the enthusiasm
and the drive that had you moving past it.
Besides what could be better then sitting on
his porch, sipping scotch, and talking about the
old times.
The time I recently spent with Doug and Bonnie;
is time I will always remember and think about
…it meant a lot to me. Doug was a person who liked
life and loved Bonnie; he will always be remembered.
I would like to leave Bonnie with this line by
Emily Dickinson…
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.
