Jerry Mack Douglas Jr.

Jerry Mack Douglas, Jr., "Mack," departed this life unexpectedly and suddenly on June 17, 2024. He was confident in his faith and hope in Jesus Christ, and is now resting peacefully with his Savior.
Mack was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on January 5, 1959 to Bettye Edens Douglas and Jerry Mack Douglas, Sr. He attended Richard Bland College, where he earned his Associate's Degree. He then went on to the College of William & Mary, where he would earn his Bachelor's Degree followed by his Juris Doctor at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at William & Mary. He opened his own real estate law firm which he operated as sole practitioner for around thirty years, and was held in high regard by his peers. At the time of his death, he was operating his own title examining business as well as working for another local attorney. He was an intelligent and learned hard worker who loved and provided for his family.
Mack was preceded in death by his mother, Bettye Edens Douglas, and his father-in-law, Kennard Samuel Brackney, Sr., and is survived by his wife, Angela Lynn Douglas; his children, Grace Elizabeth Douglas and Jerry Mack Douglas, III, "Jay" and wife Maegan Douglas; and his father, Jerry Mack Douglas, Sr.; his sister, Cynthia Thomas and husband Scott Thomas; his brother, Robinson Douglas; and his brother, Jeffrey Douglas and wife Kim Douglas. Also, he was survived by their three dogs: Sammy, Bosley, and Chauncey.
Mack knew more about real estate law and the Bible than just about anyone. He was a loved and respected Sunday School teacher at Avalon Hills Bible Church. He was a wonderful teacher, and it gave him great joy. He taught Sunday School for over 30 years at several churches and had a goal to teach through every book of the Bible. He valued the friendships of his class members immensely. He loved camping in their camper with Angie and their close friends, which they did multiple times a year. He had become quite a chef on his grill, even when he was cooking at home.
When his children were young, he hosted a Good News Club for all the children in the neighborhood of every age, some of whom were still in contact with him recently. As his children turned into teenagers, he was very involved in a youth Bible study that met in his home every Tuesday night. There were a few people in his life who are grown men now but who met him when they were only teenagers, and they call him "Mr. D." He was such a mentor and positive influence in the lives of these teenage boys-turned-men. He was proud of the men they turned out to be. One of the young men he had such an influence on was Adam Wittcop, who became like part of the family, along with his wife Sarah and children Ellie and Jack. He was generous and loved spending time with his family.
He loved coffee, tea, and books. He was an avid reader of nonfiction and always had a book on his bedside table. He loved to play hymns on his guitar. He had a love for everything Dr. Seuss (The Grinch and The Lorax were his favorites) and even liked to make up his own rhyming words and nicknames for places and people. He had a silly side in that way. For example, he would say "Yew Nork" instead of New York, "Angieversary" for anniversary, and "Tears from the Zoo" for tiramisu. Even though he could seem serious, he loved to laugh and make jokes. He had a deep belly laugh and a big grin. He was also known for his crazy hair lately.
He loved to travel. He and Angie took cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Belize. They also took trips to New York, London, Ireland, Nevada, Florida, Tobago, the Outer Banks, and Chincoteague, and they loved to stay at bed and breakfasts. He was known for his detailed TripAdvisor reviews of restaurants and attractions. He loved photography, and was even seen with a camera around his neck. He would take pictures of sports, plays and musicals, birds, travel, weddings and engagements, and the group family pictures at every holiday or family function. His Flickr username is picturetakingone, and some of his photos were even published. He really enjoyed taking ballroom dancing classes at Arthur Murray with Angie. They learned all of the different ballroom dances and even performed some dances that they worked very hard on. And they would watch Dancing with the Stars together so they could critique the dancers together. He loved gardening in his garden and picking fresh fruit and vegetables. One of the things the family loved to do every year from the mid-1980s until it ended was attend the Strawberry Festival. He loved bluegrass music and clogging, so those are some of the things he would seek out while he was at the Festival. He also liked trains and puzzles, and he liked fishing, kayaking, and biking. Every St. Patrick's Day, he wanted Angie to cook corned beef and cabbage while he watched the movie The Quiet Man with John Wayne. When he decorated his office, he used all antique furniture because he loved it so much. He really enjoyed some food, but he had a strong aversion to other foods. He knew what he liked and did not like. He really loved the Greek Festival and the Greek food there. And Krispy Kreme donuts. He and Angie fostered over 10 dogs together, and that was something he enjoyed doing with her. He loved to sit with Angie and watch the birds in their backyard while they drank their coffee together. That was his favorite thing to do, although he would have been happy anywhere as long as he was with Angie.
There will be a celebration of life at Avalon Hills Bible Church on Sunday, July 14, 2024 at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Avalon Hills Bible Church.