Douglas Frank Darby

At 9:30m on August 29th, 2026, a graveside service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery, Geneseo, Illinois. A Celebration of Life Service will follow at Geneseo Evangelical Free Church, 914 N. Chicago St, Geneseo, IL, at 10:30am.

A luncheon will be held at the church following the celebration. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry, the Henry County Humane Society of Geneseo, or any charity of choice.

Douglas Frank Darby was born on May 20, 1943, to George and Nora Darby in Red Row, England. He graduated from Cedars School in Leighton Buzzard in 1961 and completed a technical apprenticeship with Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), earning a Higher National Certificate in Electrical Engineering from Salford University.

Doug began his career with AEI, installing missiles and radar systems on ships. In 1967, he immigrated to the United States and worked for Westinghouse in Philadelphia from 1967 to 1970. In 1970, he joined the RCA Missile and Radar Division in Moorestown, New Jersey. In 1978, Doug joined Deere & Company at its national and international headquarters in Moline, Illinois.

During his 31-year career with Deere & Company, Doug held several important roles. He began in the Facilities Engineering Department before joining a newly formed Energy Department, where he focused on energy conservation and energy sourcing throughout the company. Later, as a Senior Engineer in the Worldwide Security Department, he implemented advanced security systems following the events of September 11, 2001. His many projects included the construction of Donald Street (now TCAO), numerous energy management initiatives, the construction of the Emergency Security Operations Center, implementation of the electronic access control system, and construction projects at Parts Division facilities in Milan, Grimsby, Lathrop, Regina, Edmonton, and Atlanta. He spent his final three years with the Facilities Engineering Group before retiring in 2010.

Beyond his work at Deere, Doug was widely respected as a leader in the facilities engineering profession. He joined the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 1981 and served as President of the Mississippi Valley Chapter from 1984 to 1985. He served as Regional Chairman from 1993 to 1995 and was a member of the Board of Directors from 1992 to 1995 as Director and Regional Chairman for Region VI. He chaired the Society's Energy and Technical Affairs Committee from 1989 to 1990 and also served on the Standards Committee, the Continuing Education Committee, and the Technical Committee on Energy Resources. From 1982 to 1990, he served on the committee that drafted ASHRAE Standard 100.4, Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings. Preferring short meetings, he often held meetings without chairs, a strategy that certainly kept things moving. In recognition of his many contributions, ASHRAE presented Doug with its Distinguished Service Award at the Society's Annual Meeting in Boston.

Upon his retirement in 2010, he was serving as Vice Chairman of Farmers Mutual Rural Electric Company and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. He served for many years on the Board of Farmers Mutual Rural Electric Company of Geneseo and continued his service when it became Jo-Carroll Energy.

On April 5, 1969, Doug married Roxane Jagger after two years of letter writing. Together they built a loving family and raised four children: David, Joanna, Travis, and Myles. Doug and Roxane spent countless hours attending Geneseo choir and band performances, soccer matches, and ice hockey games. Doug never hesitated to drive many miles to support his children in their activities, and later he found the same joy in cheering on his grandchildren.

Family adventures were an important part of Doug's life. He enjoyed traveling in an RV and later a travel trailer, creating lasting memories on family vacations to Washington, D.C., Kentucky, and many smaller trips with friends. He coached youth soccer teams with patience and good humor, never troubled when some of his young players became distracted picking daisies on the field—even if it frustrated their parents. He also played an important role in helping establish the Geneseo High School soccer program, which continues today. Through Wildwood Baptist Church, East Moline, IL, he was privileged to join the Arkansas Baptist Rebuilding group to help in New Orleans, Louisiana and Conway, Arkansas, after natural disasters. After retirement he enjoyed traveling on several cruises and trips to China, Cyprus, Israel and throughout Europe. Doug embodied the phrase, “Go west, young man,” as his life's journey took him from England to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, and ultimately Nevada.

At heart, Doug was a musician. He played lead guitar in several country-western bands and later served on church praise teams. Although he could not read music, if he knew a song, he could play it on the piano, guitar, or pedal steel guitar. He also had a well-known sweet tooth and was famous among family and friends for consuming half-gallons of ice cream and candy bars with remarkable regularity.

Alzheimer's disease became Doug's adversary in 2010 and ultimately led him to his heavenly home with his Lord and Savior on July 21, 2026. Through it all, he remained happy, content, and gentle in spirit, never losing his appreciation for life or his easygoing nature.

Doug is survived by his beloved wife, Roxane; his brother, Nicholas (Carole) Darby, sister in laws Angela Cantor and Karen Jagger, of England; his sons, David (Kelly) Darby of Las Vegas, Nevada, Travis (Lindsey) Darby of Chicago, Illinois, and Myles (Chelsea) Darby of Las Vegas, Nevada; his daughter, Joanna (Paul) Yu of Grand Haven, Michigan; and his six cherished grandchildren, Maiya Yu, Evan Yu, Elena Yu, Tristan Yu, Leah Darby, and Cooper Darby.

Doug's life was defined by faith, family, service, and a deep love of all thing’s chocolate. Whether through his professional achievements, community involvement, music, coaching, or the countless ways he supported those he loved, he leaves a lasting legacy that will be cherished and remembered.