Richard Doub

Richard Lee Doub passed away on December 31, 2024. Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on January 23, 1932, Richard, nicknamed "Dick" by parents Harry and Matilda Doub, spent much of his youth in a small northern Indiana farming community called Akron. As a boy, Dick loved nature and being outdoors; he also loved hunting and fishing. He was a natural for scouting activities and achieved Life Scout rank. Dick was also athletic and had a competitive spirit. In particular, he enjoyed basketball and baseball. He lived up to Indiana's basketball reputation and was a starting player during his sophomore, junior, and senior years at Akron High School. In fact, Dick received the "Akron Free Throw Champ 49-50" trophy at the end of his senior year. In the spring and summer months, Dick played baseball where he developed pitching skills and, perhaps more impactful later in life, strategic team plays for winning games.
At the end of eighth grade, Dick received the American Legion Citizenship Award given to one future high school student exhibiting qualities of academic success. To his surprise, this vote of confidence spurred him to see a future he had not yet imagined. The following day Dick secured a job at the local drug store and started saving for his future. Working in the center of town connected him to those who recognized his talents and encouraged him to pursue his life dream. During high school, Dick prioritized his academics, excelled in team sports, and continued working at the local drug store. He soon realized that college was within reach. Dick graduated from high school in 1950 and attended Purdue University where he discovered forestry as a major. He graduated from Purdue with bachelor's (cum laude) and master's degrees in forestry. Dick was a veteran and served in Korea as an interpreter of aerial photography for military intelligence (Korean Post-Armistice). His three years of military service fulfilled his duty as an U.S. Army ROTC recipient at Purdue.
Throughout his youth, college, military service, and beyond, Dick appreciated life, friendship, education, and being a part of something bigger than himself. He was a leader who wanted to make a difference. In 1960, Dick accepted a position with TVA and moved his young family to Norris, Tennessee, which opened the door to professional (and personal) success. In 1966, TVA selected Dick to receive a fellowship for a year-long program at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Dick's passion for natural resources was evident throughout his TVA career. One of his areas of responsibility was budget justification and management to support various projects such as forestry, fisheries, recreation, and environmental education. He retired from TVA's Office of Natural Resources in 1987.
Dick loved to fish. He spent his adult life fishing Norris Lake, made annual trips to coastal North Carolina and, after TVA retirement, ventured to Alaska. In both 1987 and 1997, Dick and wife Joann pulled a camper to Alaska for the summer. Their discovery of the untouched, beautiful wilderness marked the beginning of future Alaska trips that included Ketchikan salmon fishing excursions that Dick helped organize with friends and other family members.
As a sports enthusiast and member of the Norris Optimist Club (sponsor of the Norris Little League program) Dick recognized that a summer baseball organization did not exist for boys who had outgrown Little League. He wanted to address this gap for the next age group and, as such, pioneered a new team for junior high/high school-aged boys. Dick promoted this new league idea to the Optimist Club members and was given the green light to establish the "Norris Optimist" baseball club, an extension of the Norris Little League program. He coached the team for seven summers and his son, Doug, has fond memories of playing baseball with his teenage friends and spending time with his dad. During the fall and winter months, Dick turned to hunting because his younger son, Rodney, had expressed an interest in this. Dick taught Rodney everything he knew about hunting (and fishing) and to this day, Rodney remains passionate about these sports. Dick invested time with all his children and treasured his family. He arranged a stop in Cincinnati during a trip to northern Indiana so that the family could experience a professional baseball game (Cincinnati Reds). The summers always included camping trips to local TVA recreational areas, and one summer Dick took the family to Myrtle Beach, SC (which included a deep-sea fishing adventure).
Dick's interests as a naturalist were prominent during his retirement years and included Morel mushroom hunting (at his secret wooded locations) and nature and wildlife photography. He studied photography and traveled throughout the world where he captured beautiful images. He developed a system to rate his images, printed those of the highest quality, and marketed them so others could see through his lens. Dick was also enthusiastic about the Norris Area Food Pantry that he helped open in 1997. He collaborated with other volunteers who ensured the Food Pantry's success, and he continued his volunteer work with the Food Pantry for another 20+ years.
Dick is survived by his wife of 71 years, Sue Joann (Burdge); sister: Brenda Smith; brother-in-law Ross Burdge and wife, Priscilla; children: Doug (Kelly), Sandra Detjen, Susan Borgers (Chris), Linda Hudson (Will), Rodney (Angie); grandchildren: Chad Doub (Jessica), Tyler Doub (Mary Alice), Sarah Mason, Michael Doub, Madison Woods, Joshua Woods (Jordhan), Emily Hudson (Cameron), Elizabeth Wernon (Allen), Ella Wunner (Josh), Charlotte Detjen; great-grandchildren: Amelia, Adeline, Eli, Eleanor, Beckett, Hayes, Olivia, Zoey, Zelda; four nephews and five nieces. Preceded in death by two granddaughters: Molly Ann Doub and Taylor Nicole Detjen, and son-in-law Robert Detjen.
Dick Doub was a man of faith and a long-time member of the Norris United Methodist Church. A Celebration of Life service will take place at the Norris United Methodist Church, 62 Ridgeway Drive, Norris, Tennessee, on Saturday, January 25, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, send memorial gifts to charity of choice or to the Norris Area Food Pantry, PO Box 327, Norris, Tennessee 37828.