Renee Douglas
02/24/1959 - 10/28/2025
Renee Douglas went to her heavenly home on October 28th, 2025. Though we feel her absence to the depths of our hearts, we are overjoyed for her to be experiencing the promise she held to so faithfully.
We cannot begin to try to encapsulate Renee's life without first talking about her relationship with Jesus. Renee was a remarkable example of unyielding faith in the face of fear, pain, and hardship. While this could be said of the duration of her life, it was undeniably true throughout her battle with cancer. She never lost faith in the ability of God to do something incredible, but maybe more significantly, she never lost trust in His character should the hardships on Earth persist. Her illness never once defined her, nor did it impact her outlook on life, God, or the world around her; instead, it served as a tool to refine and strengthen her faith. She was an undimmed light that shone God's love, compassion, creativity, and strength.
Renee was born on February 24, 1959 in Lawton, Oklahoma, though she spent most of her childhood as a West Texas local in Odessa. At 19, Renee packed up and moved to Chicago all by herself, where she became a flight attendant for United Airlines. She returned to Midland/Odessa in 1982, where she met Dale Douglas by way of what the two claim was a "set-up", and they were married in July of 1983. Once married, Renee pursued a career as an attorney and attended Baylor Law School, from which she graduated in 1992. Once back in Midland, she practiced law at Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe & Dawson. In true Renee fashion, when asked what kind of lawyer she was, she would answer, "A crummy one," which of course was a blatant misrepresentation. After the arrival of her daughters Merritt in 1995 and Sayer in 1997, Renee knew her calling was to devote her time to motherhood.
Renee would openly tell you that her favorite role on Earth was being Merritt and Sayer's mother. She devoted her life to her family, and even that is a complete understatement. She adored showering us with labors of love, some as small as "I adore you" on a sticky note and some as grand as a surprise, fully-planned vacation. Her boundless love for all of us was never in question, and it was the kind that is impossible to express. When Merritt and Sayer were children, they would often become locked in an I-Love-You Battle with their mom: I love you, I love you more, I love you the most, well I love you to China and back, well I love you to the moon and back. On and on, the girls struggled to sum up the profound love and adoration they felt for their mom, until one of them finally said "well, you're every single good word." This sentiment was so all-encompassing and impossible to argue with that it became a common way for our family to express the magnitude of our love for each other. As our family grew up and grew older, the Great I-Love-You Debates of children were replaced by grown-up admiration for the woman who was capable of making life so magical.
She had an unparalleled ability to make everything special and wonderful. She could make even the mundanity of life into an event worth remembering. A Wednesday dinner with family became a coursed-out meal over an elegant tablescape, every birthday was celebrated as a significant milestone, gifts were chosen with attentive thought, gestures were made just because. She would bend over backwards to carry out a masterfully laid plan, and she would pick up small gifts in passing simply because they made her think of someone. Our memories of her thoughtfulness, creativity, and effort feel endless.
Renee was of the rare few who were both a jack of all trades and master of all. There was truly nothing that she could not do and do well. She had what sometimes felt like a supernatural eye for beauty and across-the-board creative talent, plus the dedication needed to carry out her visions. To know Renee was to know style and elegance. It feels like the ultimate injustice to those left behind to know that only she would have been capable of transforming the bleak reality of her absence into something beautiful. Renee could see the potential in any situation, whether it be a blank canvas, the promising bones of a house, or a cancer diagnosis. While her battle with cancer was by no means bright, her faith, love, and outlook in spite of it was, and that continues to shine in our lives in the wake of her homecoming.
Renee loved so broadly and deeply that her idea of family extended beyond just the immediate. She is preceded in death by her beloved mother, Shirlee Ann Presnall Rogers, and brother, Josh Randall Riley. She is survived by Dale Douglas; daughters, Merritt Scarborough (Ryan Scarborough) and Sayer Douglas; dearly loved pets; and a number of friends she counted as close family.
To know someone of Renee's endless gifts was a gift itself; loving, gentle, humble, dedicated, faithful, strong, talented, sophisticated, graceful, fun, remarkable, wonderful. Our grief for her will last our lifetimes, but our love for her is eternal. We love you, Renee; you are every single good word.
A memorial celebrating Renee's life will be held in Midland at First Presbyterian Church on Thursday, November 6th at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to Seed Company, an American Bible translation organization, to carry on Renee's purpose of sharing the message of the great love of God with all.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.