Marian R. Douglas

Marian R. Douglas of Ormond Beach, FL passed away on Friday, December 6, 2019. She was 86 years old. Mrs. Douglas was born in Shreveport, Louisiana to the late Elbert Newton Robeson and Joyce Cleo Davis.

She was a Golden Age of Hollywood movies aficionado. Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were among her favorites and she passed her love of ‘old’ movies to her daughter. Her husband was the popcorn boy at the movie theater in Bossier, LA and at 13 she fell in love with him at first site. Marian liked to say she chased him until he caught her. They married December, 23 1952.

After her husband completed his military service, her income as a secretary at the Louisiana Tech bookstore coupled with his GI Bill benefits allowed her to work Gene’s way through college, she liked to say. Throughout their years, she was the household bookkeeper and fastidious with their financials.

She drove her son, Mike, on his first date (he could not drive yet) and sat in the car while he walked his date to her front door. Mike recalls his date was shocked he kissed her with his mom sitting in the car.

Prior to moving to Ormond Beach in 2005, Marian and her husband resided in Athens, TN for 32 years. There too, they were active in their church, Trinity United Methodist, and its choir. The kids in the church knew her as the cookie lady as she baked chocolate chip cookies for many, even after her own children left home.

In their Kingston Hills neighborhood, people knew the Douglas house as the one where all the dogs would congregate. Marian taught several neighborhood dogs how to smile and at any given time, seven to ten dogs could be found sleeping in the front yard waiting for the time when she’d come out to give them a treat. One neighbor’s dog in particular was known to come calling anytime it rained wanting a bath and affection; and Marian always let the Shih Tzu, Buster, in and kept him until the owner came to get him.

After her daughter started junior high school, Marian went to college and earned her liberal arts associate degree in music. During her final year in college, she played Mae Peterson in the musical Bye, Bye Birdie.

A lover of the arts, Marian was a skilled calligrapher. Over the years she enjoyed painting, dancing , and ceramics. She played clarinet in her high school marching band and as an adult in the Athens Community Band. For many years both she and her husband participated in the Athens Community Chorus. She was also active with her neighborhood bridge club.

Moving to Ormond Beach they became fast friends with their neighbor’s, Pat and Danny, whose dog, Seven, she also trained to smile. Always social and talkative, Marian never ran out of something to say, hence a running joke developed with her neighbor and he nicknamed her quack-quack .

She is survived by her husband Eugene Douglas; two children, Carole Rebbel and her husband Jim of Palm Coast; Michael E. Douglas and his wife Roxanne of Bossier, LA; two grandchildren, Matthew M. Douglas and Michelle E. Hartley (nee Douglas) and her husband Bobby; great-grandchildren, Zachary C. Douglas and his wife Maddi; great-great grandchildren Jaxon Hartley and Ashton Douglas.

She was also preceded in death by her sister, Barbara.

There will be a graveside for family only ,Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Volusia Memorial Park, 550 N. Nova Rd. Ormond Beach, FL 32174. A celebration of life memorial service open to all friends and family will be on December 28, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Tomoka United Methodist Church, 1000 Old Tomoka Rd, Ormond Beach, FL 32174.