Doug Dubrouillet is no longer in pain. I’m pretty sure on his way to wherever our spirits go when we leave this earthly plane, he flew around and touched some of his friends on the shoulder to say, “See ya later, I’m out of here. Catch you on the other side.” At least that’s what I believe, since this morning I had both Doug and JoAnn strongly on my mind and couldn’t shake the feeling I needed to contact them. I sent an e-mail, then went to Facebook where I saw JoAnn’s post that Doug is gone. A little while ago Laurie Brown posted to JoAnn’s wall that Odel dreamed of Doug’s passing last night.
We first met Doug and JoAnn at Doc Justin’s Diamond J RV Park in Tucson, AZ on January 18, 2008. It was a travel day for us and they invited us to dinner at their place. JoAnn made a big pot of Linda Payne’s famous Taco Soup.
Over the next few months we got to know them better, especially when we traveled with them and the Wishnies to Mexico. When we came back from Mexico, Doug and JoAnn helped us move into our new motor home, once again sharing a big pot of that Taco Soup.
We kept up with each other over the next 3 and a half years, meeting once in a while along the way, but mostly through our blogs and on Facebook. When we did get together, it was like we’d been friends forever. Doug had an incredible sense of humor and wisdom and was a great inspiration to me, especially when I made the decision to join Weight Watchers. He was a member of AA and was always on the lookout for a meeting – even in the small towns we visited in Mexico. I figured that if he could be on the road and make a commitment to attend AA meetings, I could certainly do the same thing with Weight Watchers. Thanks, Doug!
The last time we saw Doug and JoAnn was this past Spring, again in Arizona. While we were boondocking, they came and spent some time in the same area. One day while they were there, some of us decided to hike up to Palm Canyon. In spite of his pain, Doug went along and hiked with us. He didn’t make it all the way up to the palms, but he didn’t stop until he really couldn’t go further.
They went on to Benson and we joined them there at the Saguaro Escapees Park for a couple of weeks. Jim and I will always be grateful for that time we spent together. We have some great memories to carry with us.
Our hearts are with JoAnn now, as she steps out on a new path. JoAnn, we love you and wish you strength and peace in the days ahead.
9 comments:
What a wonderful tribute to a friend! Peace be with you.
Ellie,
Isnt it interesting...Al & were talking & thinking about Doug this morning .. he sure was making the rounds ! Good for him... he is done with pain !
Kelly
Beautiful tribute, Ellie. He sure was one of a kind.
I wish I had met them. I'm still hoping to meet Joanne and Filmore in March. We were talking about Doug last night having him on our minds. What a great blog.
great tribute...altho we didn't know Doug and Joanne (we are fairly new to the blogging family) they are still part of the RV family we have grown to love...Our sincere sympathies to his family and all of his RV friends..
Thanks so much for the tribute. It's strange, like you I felt a need to contact them this morning. I posted a message from their journal...a day after I had posted a message on JoAnn's page. I only hope I can go with the peace and grace that Doug presented.
Great tribute Ellie. Last Spring, Doug & Joann drove over to North Ranch for a short visit. I'm glad we were able to see them. I pray God will give Joann strength and comfort in the days ahead.
I never met Doug nor Joanne. However, I have been reading about the impact he made on so many lives. My sympathies to Joanne and to all his other friends in the RVing community.
Ellie and Jim, A beautiful tribute!! Although I never met them face to face I felt like I knew them. Doug will be missed! He was a blessing to all who knew him.
Thank you for the tribute.
Hugs, Karon
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