Douglas P. Beighle

Douglas P. Beighle

Douglas Paul Beighle died peacefully on February 3, 2013 while traveling with his wife Kathleen Pierce in Burma-Myanmar. He was 80 years old.

Doug was born in Deer Lodge, MT in 1932. Doug's interest in business and law developed early. After his father died when Doug was eleven, he helped his mother run multiple family businesses while raising three rambunctious sons. After graduating from the University of Montana in 1954 with a B.S. in business administration, Doug married Gwendolen Dickson and entered the Air Force as a 2nd Lt., before returning to the University in 1956 to complete his law degree. He was a faculty fellow at Harvard Law School in 1959-60, receiving an LL.M. degree in 1960.

Doug joined the Seattle law firm now known as Perkins Coie in June 1960, where he practiced for 20 years, specializing in corporate and utility law. In April 1980 he fulfilled a boyhood promise to himself to change careers before he was 50, joining The Boeing Company as Vice President Contracts. In 1981 he was asked to head Boeing's legal department, where he served as chief contracting officer and General Counsel. In 1986 he was elected Senior Vice President, serving as Chief Administrative Officer of Boeing until his retirement in 1997.

Until his second retirement in 2005, Doug served on a number of corporate boards, including Puget Sound Energy, where he was board chairman, Active Voice (acquired by Cisco), Peabody Coal, Simpson Investment Company and Washington Mutual. He also deepened and expanded his public service and community work, chairing the Washington Supreme Court's Commission on Justice, Efficiency and Accountability and the Washington State Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, and working with many nonprofits including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, KCTS Television, Long Live the Kings, Junior Achievement, Arts Fund Foundation, Pacific Science Center, and Landesa.

In 2001, Doug was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Seattle-King County Municipal League. In 1995 Doug and Gwen were each named Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Montana, the first couple to be so honored, and in 2011 Doug was honored for his outstanding career achievements by the University of Montana School of Business Administration.

Doug's kindness, generosity, and wisdom enriched the lives of his family and friends, as well as his community. Doug was preceded in death by his wife Gwen and brother Donald Beighle. He is survived by his second wife Kathleen who shared his passions for nature, travel, and philanthropy; his four children: Cheryl Beighle and husband Steve Schroeder, Randy Beighle and wife Stephanie, Kate Jacks, and Douglas J. Beighle and wife Claire, all of Seattle; two stepchildren: Kristina Montague and husband Tom of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Serena Maurer and husband Sam Skrivan of Seattle; fifteen grandchildren and step-grandchildren: Andrea, Jessica, Chris, Molly, Reid, Brianna, Jack, Patrick, Kendra, Chapin, Brecklyn, Ella, Max, Millie, and Jemma; and one newly born great-granddaughter, Halle. Doug is also survived by his brother Richard Beighle and wife Bernice and sister-in-law Louise Beighle, all of Polson, Montana.

Doug died doing what he loved best-learning, meeting new friends, and sharing stories about his passions for fly fishing and the cabin in Kodiak, Alaska, where he shared many adventures with his brother, family, and good friends.

We will celebrate Doug's life on February 27 at 3PM at Daniels Recital Hall / First United Methodist Church, 811 Fifth Avenue. Visit www.dbmemorial.com to share words of comfort with his family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pacific Science Center or Landesa.