Mr. Douglas "Doug" Lansing

Doug sitting in front of Conway, NH Library

Just a few months before Douglas passed away he called me to say hello. I was surprised as I hadn't heard from him in a few years. We talked for a few minutes and he had hoped he might have a chance to stop to see me. Although that didn't happen I was glad to get the phone call from him. I remember the day he was baptised and my sister gave the Godparents two different sets of names. When they came back from Church and my sister found out that he now had 4 names she was shocked. We all thought it was funny and his Mother finally accepted the 4 names. Douglas Howard Steven John !!! R.I.P. Love, Aunt Mary

We had the best teenage years together.

Miss you.Thanks for our time together.Love you always.

Doug,I had so much fun with you on my sleep overs in our early teens.You were and still are an inspiration to everyone. R.I.P
Doug

Miss you Doug.

Doug you were such a fun man to talk to, coming in my office telling me stories for hours, bringing in candy, calling me your daughter. Well you made it through the holidays like you wanted, you were so strong and so at peace with all of this. You will be missed. Rest in peace Doug....

God bless you Douglas. Rest in peace brother.

You are a refection of your parents and your siblings. God bless you all.

My brother called me baby sister.He fought a long, courageous battle with cancer.He so loved the Lord and would talk about how happy he was going to be to be with him and to see our Momma and Dad again.He told me not to cry , but be happy for him.

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

My kid brother Doug Lansing loved music and especially loved jamming at Karoake night with live musicians or with recordings. I hope to share one of my audios here if I can but for now here is Doug talking about his love for music. This video was taken I believe during Doug's 2nd (2 week) visit to Montana in August of 2018.

My kid brother was born into our family in 1955 and with his cute dimpled smile was an instant delight to all in his family. He was the 4th child and the youngest until he turned six then our youngest sister Lisa was born. Doug always had a ready smile and a desire to make everyone else smile too. At five yrs of age he startled me when I noticed he had taken apart his "Mr. Machine" clear plastic robot and then went about busily on the back room floor (our den) putting him all back togethe again with all of the colorful plastic gears and in the right order along with plastic screws etc. and I knew we had a genius in the family:) Douglas with his bright and curious mind was mischievous as a child and for some reason so enchanting that my mom found it difficult to ever blame Doug for anything and this went on through his entire lifetime; whether he was right or wrong, it seemed no one could ever seem to make themselves blame him for much of anything; he was just so dang loveable:) Yes, Doug could be very blatantly honest and so honest that it could shock you but sometimes you just had to admire his honesty even when you might not want to have heard it:) Doug was used by the Army when he entered it during the last days of the Vietnam War but he wasn't sent over there but to Hawaii where the Armed Forces uses his brilliant mind and skills in other ways that could help keep our nation safe. He was there for several years before receiving an honorable discharge. Doug loved to keep busy doing projects that involved electrical or mechanical work. He loved tinkering in his basement with all of his beloved myriad sets of tools which he found difficult to part with after he became too sick to do much with. He had worked inside of huge electrical coils doing repair work for many years and held several assorted jobs over his lifetime of 63 years. Toward the end of his life he longed to travel once again and see the west and chose to visit his son Jeremy first in 2017 and then in 2018 he left for the west again, leaving his home in South Berwick, Maine to visit my husband and I twice for two weeks each out here in Montana. His first thrill was noticing the expansive sky and he begged my husband Phil to let him get out of his truck (after arriving in Malta by train the first time out) and just let him lay down in the fields and stretch out and enjoy the wide open spaces and the feeling of freedom from the city and cares of this world. He was so joyous to be out in nature and enjoyed the beauty of the natural world which he revered as God's gift to all of us. He was thrilled to finally arrive and be with us. Doug told me that his biggest dream while here with me was to go with me on his birthday and spend the day, July 13 at the local waterpark. He planned it for days and when the day came we headed out to the fairly new town pool and 3 huge colorful water slides and Doug went down each and every one with glee and excitement. He encouraged me to do the same. I went down the blue one and the green one but the latter one was too much for me and I felt like I was a bit banged up for having gone down it at my age:) The red one was the steepest but Doug just had to do it. He had a great time and he said to me...."When I go back to be with the Lord, promise me, you will 'remember the waterpark:)' okay sis?" Not only was the waterpark experience Doug's birthday gift to himself but also his gift of love and time with him having fun and creating a special memory that I could have to live out my days remembering that special day with him. He could be so kind and loving and generous of heart and spirit. We also went to the local museum and he had such a wonderful time studying all of the antiques there. He loved spending time with the elderly and interviewing them just as I do and I videotaped a few mins of him doing that while there which I am so glad I spent the time to do. We also spent several mornings grabbing a beverage and going over to the labyrinth garden and environs here in Lewistown and just spent time talking and walking through the maze of the garden together. He had so many wonderful views of the meaning of life and everytime he went out on his own around town he would come back and tell me of a person he had brought to Christ and how that person thought he must be an angel because he had been led to that person or this person just when they needed to be reminded of our Savior and his love for them. I have many special memories of my brother and I know he was not perfect but neither am I and I will always remember his warm and loving heart, his brilliant mind and how he loved doing for others and serving and repairing things around our home. He will be greatly missed by us and all of our family. Douglas leaves a son, and two step daughters who he also loved very much and a grand-daughter who he adored and a 2nd wife Bethia who he found love with in his later years and his former wife Betsy who was a lifelong friend. He leaves a loving older brother Richard who stayed by his bedside before parting from this world and a loving older brother Robert who was his protector throughout Doug's entire life but especially in childhood and in his teens when Robert was always there to save Doug from a beating by local bullies. Doug leaves a loving sister Lisa who was closer to his age who grew up with him and Robert as the older kids, myself and Richard were off either to college and married or in Richard's case he was in Vietnam. Doug leaves an Aunt (Mary) of Amherst Mass. and beloved cousin Kurt Lansing and several other cousins as well and many friends who stood by him in his later years who fellowshipped with him at his local Baptist Church in South Berwick, Maine where Douglas lived out the last several years of his life having lived most of his life in Southern NH after moving from Mass. in the 1980s. Many thanks are given to those who supported Doug through his cancer years and chemotherapy, giving him rides and doing their best to help him even when Doug was no longer the same person as he once was due to the cancer affecting his liver and later his lungs and his brain which greatly affected his mind and emotions especially in the last year of his life and most especially in these last six months of his life. Special thanks are given to Doug's 2nd wife, Bethia Philbrick Lansing, Doug's closest friends, Christina, Ed and Larry of his local church and his recently deceased best friend Ray his former Pastor and Ray's wife and family for all their love and support and help on many levels as Doug struggled to survive cancer that had started over four or five years ago. He amazed doctors that saw him going on and off chemo against their wishes by lasting so long when initially he was told he only had 6 to 18 months to live. Perhaps Doug found a way to extend his life through eating less and fasting frequently. Doug will be remembered for his good points such as his ready smile, his warm heart and his keen mind and wit and his ability to transform a house with improvement projects ranging from woodworking, carpentry, wiring and plumbing skills. He will be greatly missed by all those who have loved him and always will. thank you for visiting this page and leaving your memories of Doug with the rest of us who grieve his loss. We are grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has received Him into His kingdom on high where he now joyfully dwells with the rest of our family who have gone through the veil. Let us remember the good times we had with Doug and remember the love we have received and also felt for him before his illness took over his life and mind. Blessings to all who come to this site.