Douglas Ludlow

1950 - 2025

Douglas Cummings Ludlow, Sr., 75, was the beloved storyteller of his children's and grandchildren's lives.

Born June 24, 1950, in Modesto, California, to Robert Jones and Emmy Lou Ludlow, Doug often recounted the sweltering day he was born-112 degrees and no air conditioning at the old Robertson Hospital. He was amused (and a little crushed) when his granddaughter Charlotte fact-checked him and found the high was only 78, with a heat wave arriving the following week. Refusing to let a good story go to waste, his chagrin at the correction became the new story.

The middle of five boys, Doug grew up on peanut butter and Miracle Whip sandwiches and a vivid imagination, only needing to tie a towel around his neck to transform into his favorite hero, Superman. He excelled in sports, once even beating future Olympian Mark Spitz in a swim race. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, collected baseball cards, and cheered for the Giants at Candlestick Park (especially Willie Mays). He delighted in small discoveries, like realizing that two 5¢ cones at Fosters Freeze meant more ice cream than one 10¢ cone.

Doug often said that sixth grade was the year "everything cool happened." He discovered rock music, snow fell in Modesto at Christmas, and school was canceled for days because of heavy fog. He began working early, delivering papers for the Modesto Bee at the age of ten, and later spent summers inspecting produce at local canneries.

At La Loma Junior High, Doug discovered a love of fine art, winning awards at the Stanislaus County Fair and nurturing a lasting passion for oil painting. At Downey High School, he competed in speech and debate, was elected student body president, and served on the Mayor's Youth Council.

Doug was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At 19, he was called to the New England Mission, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. For two years, he served in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Maine, where he developed a deep appreciation for the region, particularly the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn.

He attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he earned both a bachelor's degree in English literature and a juris doctorate from the J. Reuben Clark School of Law. As an undergraduate, he and his brother Allen shared a well-worn Ford Galaxy, affectionately dubbed "the flivver." In law school, he upgraded to a Chevy Camaro, his prized possession for years.

In 1981, Doug married Carrie Frances Laylander, and together they had six children-five boys and one girl. After their divorce in 1993, and well before the era of online dating apps, Doug created a newsletter called The Lantern to share news and inspiration with LDS single adults in Northern California.

Even as a single dad, Doug loved taking his kids on camping trips to places like San Mateo Memorial Park and Pinecrest Lake. He guided his sons through the Boy Scouts program and joined them on countless hikes and backpacking adventures. Car rides elicited groans from his children as he replayed tapes of Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. He told elaborate bedtime stories about Scrappy and Flappy, the world's best kid detectives; the Food Friends; and a fantasy saga about Magicali, the prince of Whisperwood, including a mysterious character known only as "the Friend in Hiding," whose true identity he recorded for his kids to learn after he passed.

In 2002, Doug met Kaylene Walker, the love of his life. They were married and sealed in the Oakland California Temple in 2003 and honeymooned in Monterey and Carmel. With the addition of Kaylene's five children, their families nearly doubled in size. Together they enjoyed gardening, cheering for college and NFL football, caring for their dogs-first Indiana and then Georgia-taking road trips to visit family and explore national parks, and recently, painting with watercolors. Doug was famous for his homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, though his own favorites were Kaylene's apple pie and chicken pot pie.

Doug passed away peacefully on September 19, 2025, at the Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson, California, surrounded by family.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Allen (Gretchen). He is survived by his brothers Robert (Marcia Ann), Paul (Joanne), and David (Melissa); his wife, Kaylene; his eleven children and step-children and their spouses, Doug, Jr. (Sara), John (Jennifer), Richard, Katie (Joey), Scott (Carly), Chris, Lisa (Aaron), Sabrina (Jon), Brittney (Mike), Andrew (Ashley), and Kimberly (Carlos); and twenty-six grandchildren.

An informal memorial will be held on October 11 at the LDS Chapel, 800 E. Sylvan Ave., Modesto, CA. Luncheon at noon, service at 1:00 p.m.