I met Doug some years ago. I was a student in an
iron class he gave at Penland built around the idea
of the circle. That concept typified Doug's orientation
as a teacher. He loved teaching. He abhored
dogmatism. He encouraged each of us to
expand our horizons and experiment.
I was quite a bit older than Doug and that
allowed for a little different relation than
is usual between teacher and student. Doug
was delighted when he learned that
I had started out as a union organizer and
was working at the time of the class
as a union lawyer. My background appealed
to his working class sensibilities and
he and my wife ( who is also a union person)
got together both at that class and
at other ABANA conferences and other events
where we happened to be and sang
union songs, working songs, and folk songs
accompanied by beer and good fellowship.
Frequently Bonnie was in on these events.
We were terribly saddened to learn of Doug's
illness when we arrived at the ABANA conference
in Seattle in 2006. Now we are further
saddened by Doug's death and can only convey
to Bonnie our profound sadness and
offer our condolence at the passing of this lovely man.
iron class he gave at Penland built around the idea
of the circle. That concept typified Doug's orientation
as a teacher. He loved teaching. He abhored
dogmatism. He encouraged each of us to
expand our horizons and experiment.
I was quite a bit older than Doug and that
allowed for a little different relation than
is usual between teacher and student. Doug
was delighted when he learned that
I had started out as a union organizer and
was working at the time of the class
as a union lawyer. My background appealed
to his working class sensibilities and
he and my wife ( who is also a union person)
got together both at that class and
at other ABANA conferences and other events
where we happened to be and sang
union songs, working songs, and folk songs
accompanied by beer and good fellowship.
Frequently Bonnie was in on these events.
We were terribly saddened to learn of Doug's
illness when we arrived at the ABANA conference
in Seattle in 2006. Now we are further
saddened by Doug's death and can only convey
to Bonnie our profound sadness and
offer our condolence at the passing of this lovely man.
