Darrell Jennings Doughty
1936 - 2009
Darrell J. Doughty, 72, of Portland, Maine, passed away on May 22, 2009, following a long illness.
Darrell, son of Lewis and Margaret Doughty, was born on June 24, 1936,
in Twin Falls, Idaho, and moved to Oakland, California, as a child. He
graduated from Fremont High School in 1954. He earned a bachelor's
degree in nuclear engineering at the University of California Berkeley
in 1958 and his divinity degree at San Francisco Theological Seminary
in 1962. In 1965 Darrell received his Ph.D. in theology from the
University of Goettingen, Germany. He was ordained by the Presbyterian
Church to serve in the teaching ministry.
Darrell began his career at Princeton Theological Seminary teaching New
Testament theology before moving to Memphis, Tennessee, where he taught
in the religion department at Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes
College). During his time in Memphis he was socially and politically
engaged in the Civil Rights Movement, on several occasions marching
with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1969 Darrell moved to Madison, NJ, to continue his career at Drew
Theological Seminary where he taught New Testament and early
Christianity in the seminary and graduate school for 35 years. He
edited Drew's publication <MI>Gateway Magazine<D> for many
years and co-founded and published <MI>The Journal of Higher
Criticism,<D> a scholarly review attracting national and
international writing. Darrell's contemporaries describe him as "a
wonderful colleague and demanding teacher."
Life for Darrell was not all about work. In the late 1970s he became a
serious recreational runner and was a founding member of the Rose City
Runners Club in Madison. He regularly drove his VW bus filled with
friends to the New York Road Runners Club races in Central Park. He
enjoyed hiking, camping and skiing with his family in the White, Green,
Adirondack and Sierra Mountains. He was a member of the AMC and hiked
many sections of the Appalachian Trail.
The Montclair Ski Club was a big part of his life and he was an avid
telemark skier and a shareholder at Mad River Glen in Vermont. Darrell
played tennis, built model railroads, fly-fished, tied flies and rooted
for the New York Yankees. He was skilled at house remodeling,
transforming the Madison house into a beautiful and comfortable home
for his family. He was a crusader for equality and human rights,
feminism, civil liberties, immigration and gender equality. In the past
year he found pleasure in painting.
Darrell and his wife Mary retired to Portland in 2004 to enjoy the
city's culture, history, art and fine dining. He was a member of the
First Parish Church, Victoria Mansion, Greater Portland Landmarks,
Portland Art Museum, and Portland Stage Company. Darrell was a
neighborhood fixture walking "Calvin," his Airedale terrier, in the
west end.
He is survived by Mary Van Every Doughty, his high school sweetheart
and wife of more than 50 years; a brother Richard Doughty and wife
Nadrah of Bothell, WA; his children and their families Jean and Kevin
Wry, Waitsfield, VT, Elizabeth and Scott Peterson, Portland, ME, and
Katharine Doughty, Key West, FL; grandchildren Kasey, Lindsey and
Sarah, Cooper and Millie, many nieces, nephews and grand nieces and
nephews.
A celebration of Darrell's life will take place at 10:30 a.m. on July
11 at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State Street, Portland,
Maine.
For those who wish memorial donations may be made to:
New England Airedale Rescue, 3 Carter Road, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754
Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, 449 Stroudwater Street,
Westbrook, ME 04092
Or another animal shelter.
Arrangements are under the guidance of Independent Death Care, 471 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine.
