Rev. Dr. Douglas Bryan Reisner

April 30, 1936 – September 27, 2026

Doug Reisner was a tender, curious, patient man with real integrity. He spent his life asking the biggest questions: Who are we? Why are we here? Why is there something instead of nothing? To his beloved wife of 53 years, Dixie Darlene, he was a devoted partner. To his six children, ten grandchildren, and three great-grandsons, he was a steady source of love, wisdom, and unconditional support. To those who loved him, he was Doug, Dad, Pa, Grandpa, and sometimes “Rev. Dr. Daddy.”

Douglas Bryan Reisner died of pancreatic cancer on September 27, 2026, in Yakima, Washington. He searched for meaning in holy books, philosophy, family history, nature, and the cosmos, always reaching beyond the surface of things. His lifelong quest led him to theological study, a doctorate at the University of Chicago, and decades of ministry. But he found his deepest answers in relationships: in his enduring love for Darlene, in showing up for his children and grandchildren, and in loving his family fiercely.

He was born on a kitchen table in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, to Emma and Kelse Risner. His parents owned the local general store, the social center of town. Kentucky remained part of his deepest self: its hills, the blues and greens of Appalachia, and the generations of ancestors whose stories he wanted to understand. At 15, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, into a completely different world.

Doug became a father young. Although he didn’t find his lifelong love in this early marriage, he did find in parenthood a love so powerful that he would spend the rest of his life trying to live up to it. He often said that all he really wanted to be as a child was a father. That first family was a profound blessing, and life would bring him even more love and family than he could yet imagine.

In the fall of 1972 Doug met Darlene. She was a force that he had never seen. A fiery, unique, and passionate woman whom he considered far out of his league. He was irresistibly drawn to her and wasn’t sure their marriage would work but decided that even a short time married to her would be better than never having the chance. Fortunately for everyone, Darlene had other plans. Their marriage lasted 53 years.

Darlene encouraged Doug to follow his dream of attending theological school, and together they moved to Chicago. There, he pursued theological study and eventually earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago. Over the years, he served congregations in Texas and North Carolina and presided over more weddings and funerals than his family could count. He brought curiosity, compassion, and his unmistakable voice to his work.

Together, Doug and Darlene raised six children. Doug brought Stephanie, Kelly, Kevin, and Carmen from his first marriage, and Darlene brought her daughter Robin, who Doug adopted. Together, Doug and Darlene had another daughter, Rachel. They became a family.

Doug and Darlene had a rare love. It deepened with age. They were still kissing and snuggling, still enjoying each other, and still very much in love. Their affection rested on loyalty, commitment, and mutual respect. Darlene brought organization to Doug’s disorder and made him feel safe and loved. He adored her.

Doug was tender, wise, patient, interesting, and deeply compassionate. He rooted for the underdog and hated bullies. He called himself a feminist and cared about women’s rights, with daughters and granddaughters who gave him plenty of reasons to pay attention.

He was a happy morning person who made pancakes and loved sitting in the sun. He was wicked smart and had a brain for facts. He was the place to go for information before there was Google. Conversations could wander through genealogy, politics, Kentucky, philosophers, theologists, insects, and the universe.

He noticed everything: plants, trees, bugs, mountains, rivers, birds, and the sounds of the night. His fascination with the stars only grew. He knew the distance to his favorite star—the sun—and loved thinking about the galaxies we could see and whatever might exist in the unseen expanse.

In 2009 Doug was already retired from the ministry and Darlene was ready for a change. After some bribery and strong encouragement from their youngest daughter and son-in-law, Doug and Darlene moved to Yakima to help with their growing family. Mitchell Douglas arrived that July; Za followed. Doug took on what his daughter calls his truest calling: professional grandpa.

With Rachel and Erik both working fulltime, “Pa” had the opportunity to immerse himself in caring for those two babies. After years when distance and circumstances sometimes stood between him and the father or grandfather that he wanted to be, living nearby meant he could simply show up. He could teach, take walks, read, observe, and give his time. There was something healing in it. One simple task: love fiercely.

And love fiercely was what he did. His joy was closely tied to time with Darlene and to seeing or hearing stories about his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His eyes glittered when he saw them. They knew they were loved more than all the stars in the universe.

His final years brought a procession of smaller deaths. A debilitating stroke took away his ability to walk, drive, and write with his right hand. Pancreatic cancer eventually took his life. Through those losses, he still wanted to live, participate, and please the people he loved. Saying goodbye was slow and difficult for a family who wanted him to live forever.

Doug is survived by his beloved wife, Darlene Reisner; his six children, Stephanie Bifano, Kelly Risner and her partner Steve Aranda, Kevin Risner and his wife Kristin, Robin Reisner and her wife Lee Bennett, Carmen Lynch and Rick Lynch, and Rachel Elizabeth Monick and her husband Erik.

His ten grandchildren are Maya Langenheim; Louisa O’Meara and her husband Sean; Noah Risner and his girlfriend Jessie Wampler; Coby Magyar; Van Magyar; Kira Risner; Zack Lynch and his girlfriend Aimee Sandridge; Chloe Lynch and her fiancé Em Matson-Maguire; Mitchell Douglas Monick; and Za Monick. His three great-grandsons are Ian O’Meara, Isaac O’Meara and James Vincent Langenheim

He is also survived by his sister, Pam Risner, her sons, Scott and Robert Wells; his brother, Bill Risner, Bill’s wife, Suzy Adler, and their daughters, Katie Risner-Adler and Sara Risner-Rumohr and their families.

Doug’s life was enriched by a cherished extended family on Darlene’s side, including siblings, nieces, nephews and their families. Some he outlived; others will carry his memory forward.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Emma and Kelse Risner; Naomi Dunn, whom his family welcomed as a sister; his mother-in-law Helen Hull and his son-in-law, Vincent Bifano.

His family would also be incomplete without his local granddogs Charlotte and Harley Bean. Charlotte was an especially loyal fan of “Pa.” She kept watch beside him through his final hours and remained there after he died.

There are still questions we wish we could ask Doug, stories we wish we could hear one more time, comics we wish we could read together, mornings coffee dates that we miss and afternoons we wish we could spend beside him in the sun. We will miss going to breakfast together. We will miss him presiding over our pet funerals. We will miss his excitement when he talked about family history, philosophy or the Cosmos. We will think of him when we examine the smallest insect and look to the farthest star, always searching for meaning and wonder.

Most of all, we will carry the love he gave us—more than all the stars in the universe. His questions, kindness, humor, and his joy from his family remain with us, in one another and in the vast, beautiful cosmos he loved. As we gather to remember Doug, we invite family, friends, and all whose lives he touched to join us in honoring his life and sharing memories of the love, wisdom, and wonder he gave so freely.

A visitation will be held on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Keith & Keith Funeral Home in Yakima, Washington. A memorial service will begin at 1 p.m., with a reception to follow.