Eric L. MacDougall

Eric was born in Bangor, Maine. Named by his father after two Vikings, “Eric The Red” and “Lance The Raider.” These Viking namesakes would serve him well as he always attacked life and strived to be the best at everything he attempted.

In 1954 his family moved to a discontinued farm of 58 acres in the center of a small town, East Corinth, Maine. There were no recreation facilities in town, so Eric built a basketball court in the large empty barn, for the winter months, and mowed a full size baseball diamond, in the hay field behind the barn, for the summer months. All the kids in town gathered there. Even today, there are many adults in East Corinth that will say “I grew up at Eric’s house.”

Eric attended high school at East Corinth Academy and excelled at everything: class leadership; sports; theater; academics; and he won every speaking contest he ever entered. He continued on and graduated from the University of Maine and became a high school teacher and coach in Brewer, Maine; he was named Teacher of the Year in his first year. He garnered many honors as a teacher and speech coach. As a sports coach, he helped coach the football team to a State Championship and coached many members of his Track & Field teams to become State Champions even though Brewer High School had no Track & Field facilities; they trained in a parking lot.

Eric later became Director of Recreation and Parks for the city of Brewer. While Director, he helped the department grow and developed wonderful after-school programs. He also developed some of the largest Recreation Leagues, in several sports, in the state of Maine. In 1981, Eric moved to Florida and started working in newspaper advertising. Again, his work ethic, determination, and desire for excellence helped him to succeed and advance in his new profession. It was here, in Florida, that he met and married Julie Byther. They married on December 27, 1991, after a seven-year courtship.

As they both continued to rise in their professions, they moved to Texas and, a few years later, to Denver. By this time, Eric was flying all over the country to help some of the largest newspapers and magazines maximize their revenue potential. He was doing what he had always done: teach, train, and inspire people to be their best.

Eric and Julie celebrated his retirement in 2013 by taking a 29-day cross county road trip to visit family and friends. They continued to travel, returning yearly to Sanibel Island and to Bar Harbor, Maine, which Eric called “the most beautiful place on the face of the planet.”

Eric will live on in the hearts and minds of family and friends who loved him dearly: his wife Julie, his two sons, Shawn and Shane (Kourtnee), his two brothers, David (Belinda) and Dr. Robin (Marisa), six grandchildren: Connor, Michael, Savanna, Noah, Jaylen, and Jacoby, a brother-in-law, Michael Biddle (Elizabeth), a nephew, Devin, a niece, Marissa (David Johnson), and a great-nephew, Dominick.