Douglas LeRoy Raasch

1941 - 2016

Douglas LeRoy Raasch died at his home on March 16, 2016 from complications from Parkinson's Disease and a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 322 West Pecan Street on Monday, March 21 at 11 am.

Douglas was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 14, 1941 to Edward and Grace Raasch. When he was in 2nd grade, his family moved to Corpus Christi, TX. He graduated from Roy Miller High in 1960 then attended SMU and the University of North Texas, where he graduated in 1964. While at North Texas, he was President of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Immediately after graduation, Doug joined the Navy as an officer candidate and began to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot. While on a short leave from the Navy, Doug married his college sweetheart, Martha Sue Ellis, on December 20, 1964 in Dallas, TX. While in the Navy, during the Vietnam War, he served two tours on the aircraft carrier USS Kearsage, based in Coronado, CA. The Navy life took them to many states, including Florida, California and Texas. After the Navy, Doug began his career as an airline pilot with Delta airlines and, after living in Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas, Doug, Sue, Jeff, who was born in California and Maren, born in Dallas, settled in Sherman.

While in Sherman, Doug, just to see if he could, started a business, Textile Supply Company, marketing and manufacturing clean room products for the tech industries, with offices in Sherman, Austin, El Paso, and Phoenix, selling it after ten-plus years.

He was also involved with Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge where a hiking trail is named for him. Doug was a true Renaissance Man. He loved the outdoors, especially the Pacific Northwest, where he and Sue had a condo as he finished his career with Delta. He loved chocolate, carpentry, gardening, and George Strait and Willie, and cried over Bach. He loved books and history, compiling a large library with special fondness for Lincoln, Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt, yet developed a recent enthusiasm for the Longmire stories and Dan Silva. Doug had a succession of beloved Labrador Retrievers and designed two homes, with a real regret that he could live in the current home such a short time. He had a passion for learning and had a wealth of knowledge on just about any subject.

Doug is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sue, son, Jeff Raasch and his wife Haley, daughter, Maren Doherty and her husband Michael, sister Jan Schronk and brother-in-law Stacy, brother-in-law George Ellis and his wife Anne, nieces and nephews, current Lab, Lizzie, and his favorite grandson, Alex Doherty.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Parkinson Voice Project at TMC or Home Hospice of Grayson County where angels live or Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.