After a full and rewarding life, Doug died in a car accident on August 27, 2023, having celebrated his 91st birthday in July. His wife Carol predeceased him in 2021. He leaves a sister, two children, and three grandchildren.

Doug graduated from UBC in engineering before a master’s degree at Ann Arbor. At UBC, he received four Big Blocks awards from Athletics. From an early age, Doug competed in sports – at one time holding most of the Canadian speed skating trophies. He competed at track and field in the 1955 Pan American Games, 1956 Melbourne Olympics, 1960 Rome Olympics, and was voted Canada’s Outstanding Track and Field Athlete in 1956, 1957, and 1959. He was Calgary’s Sportsman of the Year in 1969 and was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

He founded the Calgary Marathon, which now raises over $1M a year for charity. He was also a member of the Rotary Club of Calgary, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, and the Paralympic Committee, and was a strong supporter of his adopted city, Calgary.