Obituary

Dugan “Doug” Crowell passed away peacefully in Goodyear, AZ on August 1, 2022 with his loving family by his side.
Doug was born on January 17, 1930 in his family home near Spirit Falls, Wisconsin, the second of thirteen children. He graduated from Tripoli High School in 1948 and attended the University of Wisconsin Platteville before serving two years with the US Army during the Korean War, 1951-53. On returning from Korea, he finished his university degree and started his teaching career in Walworth, WI where he met the love of his life, Mary Harness, whom he wed in 1957. He also completed a master’s in education at Eastern Illinois University in 1970.
Doug’s teaching career included teaching history, English and student counseling. He taught in Rockton, Payson, and Joy, IL, and he retired in 1988. His greatest passion was his student coaching career which spanned more than 40 years. While he coached several sports, his specialty was cross-country running, and his teams had great success. As a result, he was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Mercer County School District Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. It is a testament to his qualities as a coach that he continued to maintain contact with many of his students and other youth from as far back as the 1950’s.
Doug’s interest in sports was reflected by his being a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, and a follower of professional baseball, football, golf and basketball. Over the years, he also enjoyed the golf links.
His love of travel was met through numerous family trips, which he planned in the greatest of detail, studying maps, and exploring the country, often with their camper trailer, leaving enduring memories of favorite places such as the Grand Tetons. In later years, he and Mary broadened their travels to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Korea, and the Caribbean.
Doug was always there for his daughters, ready and willing to help out, encourage and support them. He was also his grandsons’ number one sports fan, with Christopher in Seattle, and with the younger boys after his move to Arizona in 2010. He and Mary were ever-present at swim meets, baseball, football and soccer games, and other school functions. In addition, he was a long-time member of the 5th Regimental Combat Team Association, attending annual reunions from the 1990’s through 2018, and hosting the 2007 reunion in Seattle as Association President. Other memberships included the Korean War Veterans’ Association, Phi Delta Kappa, National Education Association, and the Exchange Club.
Doug was predeceased by Mary, his wife of 59 years, daughter Cherelynn Hyett (Allen), his mother and father, Kelly and Almeda (Fields), and siblings Arlene, Leland, Leah, Pauline, and Pat. He is survived by his daughters Kayla Baretta (John, Greenville, SC) and Michele Kerfoot (Doug, Goodyear, AZ); sisters Mina Miller (Jim), Colleen, and Kathy Weisinger; brothers Leo (Cindy), Frank, Mike, and Art (Audrey); brother-in-law Rear Admiral USN (Ret.) Francis Harness (Marti, Cedarville, MI); his grandchildren, Christopher Baretta (Monica, daughter Mae, Greenville, SC)), Alexander, Andrew and Zachary Kerfoot, ‘bonus’ grandchildren Paul Kerfoot (Canmore, AB) and Patricia (Kerfoot) Burke (Christian, son Hunter, Crofton, MD), as well as many special nieces and nephews, and his feisty dog, Bailey.
He will be dearly missed by his family, men’s bible study group, students, and many special friends. The family would like to thank his long-time care worker, Pacifica Clark, the staff of Hospice of the West and the pastors of The Church at Litchfield Park for their support. In lieu of flowers, Doug’s wish is for donations to be made to the Mercer County Eagles Athletic Booster Club. A memorial service will be held at The Church at Litchfield Park, November 5, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Condolences may be sent to the family at ThompsonFuneralChapel.com.