Doug and I shared an apartment for a year or so in the early 1970’s. The exact date and location are lost in time but the essence of it was two young men whose first marriages had broken up drinking, smoking pot, listening to Leonard Cohen and doing life reboots. Since then we had stayed loosely in touch, seeing each other perhaps every decade.He died over the New Year Holiday while hiking with his family. I went back to Saratoga Springs, NY for the memorial service and I was glad I went. It sure made me wish I’d made more time in my life for Doug.

“A force of nature and a fierce advocate for it.”

Here are a few of the things I gleaned from the service.

He did a lot of Environmental Lawyering but did more hiking and adventuring. He was a great family man.

He loved gear. They found eight pairs of ski boot, seven pairs of hiking boots an amazing forty different packs and perhaps a mile of rope in his gear room

He built wooden boats

He always got the group out safely.
One of his few faults was estimating trip time. If he said 3 hours it could be six.
It was a blessing to be included in his tribe.

Advice from Doug:

Choose the path with more options.
Tip $5.00 at breakfast.
If you don’t believe in Santa Claus he won’t believe in you.
Bored people are boring.
Die young as late as possible.
Grow older but don’t grow old.

This was a life well lived.