John Douglas "Doug" Clepper

The majority of funeral directors are so stiff and stodgy, but Doug was anything but. I installed burial vaults for 35 years, so I saw Doug quite a bit in the cemeteries and he was always friendly and appreciative of my work. I'll never forget the time, and it could easily be 30 years ago, that Doug had a funeral up in Oxford, OH. The preacher and his wife had ridden with a family member of the deceased up to the cemetery, and since the bereaved lived right there in Oxford, Doug offered to take the preacher and his wife back to their car in Oakley in the hearse. Doug had a driver for the hearse so with all three seats occupied there was only one place for him to ride the 40 miles back to the funeral home. I laughed as the hearse was leaving and Doug was looking out the rear window smiling and waving.