Douglas L. Demarest

1973 - 2015

Douglas Lawrence Demarest - beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend - ended his life on Tuesday morning, Dec. 29, 2015. Doug was born in Minneapolis, Minn., on July 15, 1973. He is survived by his wife, Kate Demarest; their children, Simon (4) and Silvia (1½); his mother, Diane Ballentine; his brother, Bradley Demarest; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Doug's father, Larry Demarest, preceded him in death. Doug completed his elementary education at the Marcy Open School. He graduated as a valedictorian from Minneapolis South High School in 1991, and completed a Bachelors degree in Physics from Grinnell College in 1995, where he ran the 800 meters in track and field. Doug possessed a razor sharp intellect, a brave and loyal heart, and a playful, mischievous spirit. He was an adventurer, a traveler, a gifted outdoor photographer, a skilled whitewater kayaker and a general lover of rivers, mountains, oceans and wilderness. Doug shared this love of wild places with countless students as an Outward Bound instructor for many years, spending summers in Alaska. Doug and Kate made Anchorage, Alaska, their home in 2010. Here, Doug devoted his considerable talents to building a successful small business. He delighted in raising his young children and watching them learn and grow. Doug's son shared that that his daddy enjoyed playing Candyland and going outside to play at the park. His daughter had recently mastered the phrase "I love you, Daddy." Doug was a fierce supporter of social justice and equality. His family suggests memorials in his name to the Alaska Innocence Project, www.alaskainnocence.org; the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, http://www.acluak.org/; or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, https://www.afsp.org/alaska.