Safely Home

[Jon Brakel]

My friend Doug Doolittle died this afternoon from melanoma cancer. He was not a "disc golfer" although he played many frisbee games with Bruce and I when we were kids--including disc golf. Some of my recreational disc golf friends read this board and some of them knew Doug...but I also wanted to share this with my extended Discontinuum family. This is the e-mail that Doug's wife Diane sent to me tonight.

The happiest day of Doug's life is the day of his death.  "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Doug is Safely Home with His Savior.  He was welcomed into his new HOME on January 26, 2007 at 1:44 pm. 

God's grace is more than sufficient for us still here. 

We continue to rest in the fact that God is good....all the time.

In lieu of flowers, Doug has chosen to establish an endowment for the Missionary Apprentice Program because of the influence that his MAP experience had on his life.  Doug went to Haiti to fulfill his MAP requirement in August of 1984.  While in Haiti, Doug stayed with a missionary who had a computer, which was a novelty in that day.  Doug quickly took to the computer and was even writing programs for games for the missionary kids.  God has greatly used Doug's gift of working with computers for His honor and glory as Doug worked faithfully in the Technology Department at Northland Baptist Bible College beginning in January 2000.  With his knowledge of computers, Doug could have made a large amount of money working a secular job but his heart's desire was to use his talents for the Lord and to be able to influence college students with his life.  He definitely let his life touch life...in a quiet, strong way.  He intended to stay at Northland and work in the Technology Department until retirement.

We are unsure of all of the arrangements at this time.  We will send out another update when we are able to let you know the details.

Go to www.ourwhisperingpines.com to read Doug's story.

[Bruce Brakel]

My condolences.  Keep me informed about the arrangements.  I'll go back to work today so I can take the time off. 

[white_rhino]

My condolences to you on the loss of your friend, my prayers will be with you and his family.

[Jon Brakel]

I got back from Doug's funeral early this morning. Actually I guess his "funeral" is a family thing today where they put the box in the ground but I went to the visitation and the memorial service. Doug didn't want a memorial service that focused on his passing he wanted a celebration of life and God. Five pastors from various churches from Michigan to Minnesota spoke. Also speaking were the Chancellor of the Northland Baptist College, the President of Northland Baptist College and another head honcho from Northland. Besides each reading a section of Philippians (one of Doug's favorite books of the bible--he actually memorized it at one point in his life just to see if he could) each of these men also shared something that Doug had taught them.

The memorial service was 2 hours long but seemed to be over so quickly. And then something kind of cool happened. But first let me explain how I ended up attending anyway...In the day from when I found out about the schedule of services and I had to leave (if I was going) I went back and forth about whether I should attend or not. Doug and I easily picked up from wherever we left off when ever we saw each other, spoke to each other or wrote each other in a way that time and distance didn't matter. However, I was not a "part" of his current life. I hadn't seen him in person in 9 years. His children do not know me and his wife has only met me once. Even though I have a folder in Outlook called "Doug" that is chuck full of e-mails we were not a part of each other's every day life.

However, a voice inside kept telling me to go. So I listened to the voice and went. I called the Pastor's office to find out if there was a motel nearby to stay at. Looking on the internet I couldn't find anything very close. My plan was to drive up Monday and go to the visitation, work remotely during the day on tuesday until the memorial service and then drive home. The Pastor's wife answered and said that the closest place to stay would be on the Northland campus with one of the "boys". The "boy" turned out to be a 26 year old accountant and campus EMT named Chris who knew Doug very well.

I arrived in Wausaukee, Wisconsin (about an hour north of Greenbay) about an hour before the visitation was to start. I drove past the funeral home and then headed back to the main drag to find a place to eat dinner. I went past a few hole in wall bars and then came to Kel's diner which although it had a Miller Lite neon sign was a well lit diner like place and I pulled in. The waitress hollered at me to sit anywhere and I could sense a large party seated behind the me as I had walked into the seating area and so I turned to my right and sat in the corner. I immediately opened my Blackberry and started to return e-mails that I had gotten on the drive up there. When my food arrived I looked up and Doug's entire family was sitting in front of me over by the door. I was surprised at first that we wound up in the same place but then I thought about the choices and they probably ruled out the other establishments for a quiet dinner the same as I had. They hadn't noticed me and I let them be and have their family time. When Doug's sister Glorianne (who is my age) went to pay the check I walked up and said hello. She turned and her face lit up and she gave me a HUGE hug. I was soon surrounded by Doug's whole family greeting me with smiles on their faces and I realized that the voice was right.

At the visitation I sat toward the back and whenever Glorianne didn't have someone to talk to she would come over and we talked about old times and among my sister Janice, Doug, her and I that Glorianne and I were the only two left and the only earthly connection to the adventures that the four of us shared.

I drove up to the college to stay the night in Chris' apartment. The next morning I worked from his apartment and then at lunch Chris took me on a tour of the campus including Doug's office. It is funny that Doug and I traveled such a different path to get to where we were going and yet chose careers doing almost the same exact thing. He also shared his office with another person and his desk looked much like mine--although his was much neater than mine.

And now to continue the story of the memorial service...After all these Pastors and executives at the college spoke and all the songs were sung, the Pastor who officiated the proceedings dismissed the middle section of the church to the dinner that followed in another building. There were hundreds of people at this memorial service but I happened to be sitting on the isle and as Doug's family walked by they each stopped and gave me a hug. It was a moment unlike any other. I'm not sure what my being there meant to Doug's family but I'm glad I was there...the voice was undoubtedly correct.

The memorial service was the most spiritually uplifting of any memorial service that I have ever been to. Somewhere on Doug's website (www.ourwhisperingpines.com) under his "Cancer Story" he quotes someone who says that our life is the dash. Like the dash on a tombstone between the dates (like below in my 1963 - 2007 except that I used ~ instead of a dash). So today's lesson for those that are still reading (I realize that only my brother has the patience to read my meandering story telling this far but that's ok I mostly am posting this because I need to and so that I refer to again sometime) is to:

Live the Dash!

When compared to eternity the dash is short. Whether we live to the age of 3, 23, 43 or 103 the dash is short. Doug made the most of his dash...and I and a bunch of other people will be ETERNALLY grateful but that is a different story.

[stan the man]

Hay Jon
sorry to here about yor friend piece and love to all

[tree]

I love your meandering stories