Douglas M Troutman

In uncharacteristic early morning fashion, Douglas Troutman, 76, left this earthly life abruptly and unexpectedly on July 1, 2020.

The youngest of three boys, Doug was born April 6, 1944, in Everett, Washington to Deb and Fern Troutman.  An inquisitive spitfire from the start, he had multiple interests over the years. Starting from an early age, he was known for his storytelling. Doug had a knack of turning nearly any topic of conversation into something he would wax verbosely about, frequently repeating stories with increasing grandiosity.  There are stories where the jury is still out on whether it is more truth or fiction.

By his teens, he developed a love for cars and all things fast. He raced to numerous wins in a Corvair where the builders had put in an engine far superior to the standard flat-six available at the time.  He later owned Lotus Elans, spending a great deal of time in the past years restoring them in his garage. His love of speed never left, much to the terror of many a white-knuckled passenger.

He worked for concessionaires as a seasonal cook in Yellowstone and Yosemite before joining the Army, where he served a tour in Vietnam from 1966-67 as a helicopter crew chief. Like many veterans, he came home scarred with numerous personal demons that he spent a lifetime trying to overcome. After his military service, he was employed as a seasonal Law Enforcement Ranger for the National Park Service in Yosemite. He was eating lunch on the trail to Nevada Falls in late 1969 when he saw a beautiful woman hiking below him and proclaimed to his buddy Ed, he would marry her. True to prediction, he married Dawn in January 1970. In 1976, he began his career at the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona, subsequently transferring to Lakeview, Oregon in 1978 as an Outdoor Recreation/Wilderness Specialist. He later devoted himself to the BLM’s Accessibility Initiative before retiring in December 1999.  

Brash, brazen, and opinionated, he was highly involved in various community activities and wrote numerous letters to various papers. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, best friend and fellow Lotus aficionado Gary, and his special dogs Howie and Boomer.

He is survived by Dawn, his wife of 50 years, and their two fur-kids Tripper and Cali; his daughter Amy with her husband Ryan and their daughter Taliah; and his son Michael with his wife Jenevieve and their daughter Ruby.

As Doug hated funerals, a celebration of life will take place at 1 pm on Saturday, July 11 at Warner Canyon Ski Area, where his friends are encouraged to share memories, tell tall tales, and have the last word. Please bring lawn chairs for your own comfort. Due to restrictions with Covid-19, no food will be provided. Donations in Doug’s memory can be made to the Lake County Food Share PO Box 1330 Lakeview, OR 97630 or to the Wounded Warrior Project PO Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675.

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