not the real Doug, but a Doug nonetheless
I got the shocking news today that my friend Doug DeMull passed away on Friday. Doug was a good guy, and probably one of the nicest, sweetest men you'd ever meet.
It's hard to know what to say. He was taken too young, yet it is satisfying to know he was a man who knew what he loved and who he loved. He was the ultimate family man, punctuating the silences at work with a smile before he would tell me how beautiful his wife Barb was or how cute and funny his kids Drew and Dylan were.
A fellow Ferris alum, he had great stories of his time as a bachelor sharing not-so-sanitary living conditions with his roommates. His mushrooms in the bathroom story is both funny and gross.
We shared lots of little inside jokes, such as his lunches at Motel 6, room 8. For naps, he's say with wink.
One year, I got him for Secret Santa, and was delighted to get him a novelty gumball machine and 5 pounds of gumballs. Because, boy did he love his gum. He REALLY loved his gum. It's important to note how much I thought of Doug because I hate loud gum-chewers yet I was ok with Doug workin' his chicle, so to speak.
One of the my favorite portfolio pieces from my time at Michigan Bulb was a collaboration between the two of us on the Showcase Lilies mailing. He also worked with me on a back cover ad for Festival, a fun little burst of creativity that makes me smile.
I'm trying hard to remember the last time I saw him, I think it was either Festival or ArtPrize. The venue doesn't matter, but his signature greeting sure does: his cheeks ruddy with pleasure and arms open wide in greeting a good friend. I hope that is the greeting he recieved on Friday, the earth's loss is surely heaven's gain.
No comments:
Post a Comment