Douglas Robert Cooley

Heaven welcomed Douglas Robert Cooley on the afternoon of November 21, 2022.  He was 93 years old, born in Chicago, IL on December 24, 1928, to Grace and Fred Cooley.

His memorial service will be 2:00 P.M., Monday, November 28, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church, Amarillo. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Amarillo.

During his early elementary school years Doug had rheumatic heart disease.  Recovered, he went to high school and then Beloit College in Wisconsin where he joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, majored in geology AND met his future wife, Virginia (Gini) Radford.  They were married on November 8, 1952, after Doug earned a Master’s degree at Kansas University (Go Jayhawks!).

Doug had an older brother, Dick.  He and his wife Margaret owned a sailboat named Patsy.  Doug loved sailing with them on Lake Michigan.

Geology brought Doug and Gini to Amarillo, Texas and then began a series of transfers with Gulf Oil including Abilene, Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, Amarillo, and Casper, Wyoming.  During Abilene an interruption came by way of a draft notice for two years in the U.S. Army.  His second year was spent in Tokyo, Japan and Gini was able to join him.  Their most special adventure there was climbing Mount Fuji.  A close second was their discharge trip – ten days on the Pacific Ocean in January, finally docking in Seattle.  Doug returned to his job with Gulf Oil in Fort Worth where daughter number 1, Christine was born.  Later on in Amarillo daughters Karen and Janet were born.  Doug was always so proud of his three beloved girls.  Doug and Gini visited many National Parks.  Perhaps Yosemite was his favorite.  They took many trips to Sedona, Arizona and enjoyed hiking in the Red Rocks.

One dark night some of Jan’s classmates began to secretly paper our home; unbeknownst to them, Doug snuck out to their car and grab the ignition keys.  Having completed their papering, the boys tip-toed back to their car and – uh, oh! No keys!  Searching for them was futile.  Humility forced them to approach the house ‘fessing up and receiving the missing keys handed to them by a laughing key-swiper and family.  This was typical of Doug’s actions and dry sense of humor in word and deed.

Most characteristic of Doug was his love of Christ, people, and his Christian influence on many.  This was demonstrated through Bible studies and fellowship, and three-day weekends with inmates through the Kairos prison ministry.  He was a disciple-maker by leading people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and then helping them to develop the basic facets of the Christian faith, that is, Scripture, prayer, fellowship and witnessing.   The Navigators had a great influence on Doug and Gini, as did First Presbyterian Church, where they attended for over 60 years.

Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Gini; three daughters, Chris Hutchison and husband Richard, Jan Balke and husband Kyle, and Karen Cooley; six grandchildren, Matt, Michelle and husband Dusty, Mary and husband Daniel, Emily, Brad and wife Rachel, and Marc; and a dozen great-grandchildren, Emilee, Landon, Gabriel, Ella, Brody, Easton, Grayson, Cole, Grant, Hudson, Paisley, and Boston.  Doug was indeed a Godly man who loved his family greatly.