Douglas Landon Stegall

November 4th, 1946 – November 27th, 2025

Douglas was best known by those closest to him as “Poppy” or “Dougie Doug”, but for the majority, he was simply Doug. Doug was born on November 4th, 1946, in Fieldale to the late J. Alfred and Lottie S. Stegall. On June 24th, 1972, Doug married the love of his life, Becky, and together they shared over 52 wonderful years together. Throughout his lifelong residence in Henry County, he developed a love and enjoyment for local history. This love led him to becoming an avid collector of historical memorabilia and other various trinkets. And, by no means was he ever a gatekeeper of the knowledge he had gained. To whoever would listen, he was always glad to sit and talk about all the things he had found and the history that went along with them. Doug was also one of the organizers of the first Fieldale Heritage Festival and a lifetime member of the Martinsville and Henry County Historical Society. He took great pride in preserving the history of the area.

The only thing he loved more than history was his family, who he considered his greatest life achievement. For those that truly knew Doug, he was a treasure hunter at heart. Out of the many treasures he found over the years, his grandchildren were by and large his greatest. What brought him the most joy was simply being “Poppy”. Nothing made him happier than cheering on his grandchildren whether he was cheering them on from the bleachers of a basketball game, watching videos sent from afar, or attending his granddaughter’s class performances, he was always their proudest supporter. He always carried their joy and accomplishments with him wherever he went and would share pictures and videos with anyone he met. If you ever saw Doug out and about, he most likely was wearing a Notre Dame hat or jacket. No, he was not an alumnus there, however, his daughter-in-law was and when she joined the family, he became an instant fan. He watched as many of their games as he could, and would always text his daughter-in-law to discuss them, no matter how late, knowing she would be watching too.

Doug would always go above and beyond to make sure his family was taken care of. Whether it was boxes of body wash that he got for a “deal”, bags of tomatoes that he picked up from the Farmers Market, or simply showing up for a quick visit (never without donuts, ice cream sandwiches or some sweet treat), he was always there. He would drop what he was doing if any of them called.

Doug is preceded in death by his brothers Bobby “Flop” Stegall, Bernard Stegall, and Donald Stegall and his sisters Bettie Jane Stegall and Margaret Stegall.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Stegall; his children Jonathan Stegall (Katie) and Kaitlin Martin (Grant); his grandchildren Greylin and Isla Martin and Jackson and Landon Stegall; sisters Patt Hall (Wayne) and Sallie Marie Minter (Jim); and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. The family will be holding a private service with immediate family members at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorial contributions be directed to the Martinsville–Henry County Historical Society or the Martinsville–Henry County SPCA.