Zelienople – The family of the forever joyful, hopeful, kind, and loving W. Douglas Halsted, III is sad to announce his passing at 89 on July 6, 2024. He completed his remarkable life peacefully, in the company of loving family members. Douglas is survived by his four children (Shorey, Sarah, Nathan, and Bill) and seven grandchildren, and his sister, Janice Halsted Sussebach and her family.
Doug was born in Southampton, New York on July 3rd, 1935, to the delight of his parents Walter Douglas Halsted Jr and Alice Heilig Halsted. Doug was raised first in New York and, as of 1941, in their historic home, the 1816 Jacob Ide parsonage and farmhouse in West Medway, Massachusetts with his two sisters, Janice (born in 1939) and Susan (1946-2001). He shared a deep life-long bond with both of them. By their example, their parents taught the importance of service to the community and the power of supporting the next generation to meet their potential.
Doug attended the public schools in Medway, then was admitted to the Phillips Exeter Academy where he was first exposed to the study of foreign languages. His love of choral music got its start in the Exeter glee club. The Exeter community in general left such an impression on Doug that he was a very active alumnus.
In the Summer of 1953 Doug’s love of the French language and culture reached a significant peak when he attended the Collège Cévenol in the historical town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France. He returned to go to Harvard, majoring in romance languages. He received an M.A. at Tufts and went on to study and teach at the University of Kansas. He spent one year at the Ecole Supérieur de Commerce in Clermont-Ferrand, France. During his academic life and travels Doug formed personal friendships, many of which he maintained by correspondence and mutual visits all through his life. He truly lived his love of language. This made him the great teacher he became.
Doug formed life-long friendships throughout his journey, be that serving as a camp counselor at North Woods, working alongside his father at the Boy’s Club in New York City, attending Philips Exeter, Tufts, Harvard, and University of Kansas, studying French in France, or traveling through Europe.
Doug embraced life with love and joy and integrity. Doug was fascinated by how human sevolved to communicate meaning, leading two of his great loves – language and Music. He was delighted by how culture and language interplayed to create changes in meaning and evolve over time. If you were ever wondering about the etymology of a word, Doug definitely knew the answer and it was impossible to play Balderdash with Doug since he already knew the definition of all the words.
Doug was able to merge his passion for language and supporting our youth through becoming a French teacher, eventually moving to the Andover School System in the 1980’s until his retirement. His fundamental love of music was expressed through him serving as a Tenor in a multitude of choirs throughout his life, including South Church, Lexington Pops, Philips Exeter Choir, and Philips Andover Choir. He also was able to express his commitment to children and the Arts by serving as the Producer of the Andover High School Drama theatrical productions alongside his best friend Bob Lague. If you were wondering where Doug was some evening, he was either at choir or play practice.
Bob Lague and his wife Nancy introduced Doug to the great love of his life, Josie Walker, and in 1990 they married and he became part of her family and step-father to her three children, Sarah, Nathan and Shorey. Family and fatherhood were always of paramount importance to Doug, and in 1992 Doug and Josie expanded the love of their family through the adoption of their son Bill. This decision was Doug’s proudest commitment and a source of great happiness to him, particularly the three wonderful grandchildren his son and his wife Christen brought to Doug’s life, Gabriel, Jacobe Douglas, and Aubrey.
Doug loved to learn and enjoyed traveling, especially with his wife Josie. Many cross country road trips, plus journeys to Australia, Europe and The Panama Canal, gave Doug and Josie tremendous happiness and fulfillment. Their favorite place to go, however, was their cottage in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where they hosted friends and family together every summer for over 30 years.
Doug taught us all how to have a meaningful life and to approach everything with integrity, peace, love, humor, and joy.
We welcome you to join us in our Celebration of Life, at South Church in Andover, MA, Saturday September 7 th at 4 p.m., with “Cast Party” to follow.
Doug was born in Southampton, New York on July 3rd, 1935, to the delight of his parents Walter Douglas Halsted Jr and Alice Heilig Halsted. Doug was raised first in New York and, as of 1941, in their historic home, the 1816 Jacob Ide parsonage and farmhouse in West Medway, Massachusetts with his two sisters, Janice (born in 1939) and Susan (1946-2001). He shared a deep life-long bond with both of them. By their example, their parents taught the importance of service to the community and the power of supporting the next generation to meet their potential.
Doug attended the public schools in Medway, then was admitted to the Phillips Exeter Academy where he was first exposed to the study of foreign languages. His love of choral music got its start in the Exeter glee club. The Exeter community in general left such an impression on Doug that he was a very active alumnus.
In the Summer of 1953 Doug’s love of the French language and culture reached a significant peak when he attended the Collège Cévenol in the historical town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France. He returned to go to Harvard, majoring in romance languages. He received an M.A. at Tufts and went on to study and teach at the University of Kansas. He spent one year at the Ecole Supérieur de Commerce in Clermont-Ferrand, France. During his academic life and travels Doug formed personal friendships, many of which he maintained by correspondence and mutual visits all through his life. He truly lived his love of language. This made him the great teacher he became.
Doug formed life-long friendships throughout his journey, be that serving as a camp counselor at North Woods, working alongside his father at the Boy’s Club in New York City, attending Philips Exeter, Tufts, Harvard, and University of Kansas, studying French in France, or traveling through Europe.
Doug embraced life with love and joy and integrity. Doug was fascinated by how human sevolved to communicate meaning, leading two of his great loves – language and Music. He was delighted by how culture and language interplayed to create changes in meaning and evolve over time. If you were ever wondering about the etymology of a word, Doug definitely knew the answer and it was impossible to play Balderdash with Doug since he already knew the definition of all the words.
Doug was able to merge his passion for language and supporting our youth through becoming a French teacher, eventually moving to the Andover School System in the 1980’s until his retirement. His fundamental love of music was expressed through him serving as a Tenor in a multitude of choirs throughout his life, including South Church, Lexington Pops, Philips Exeter Choir, and Philips Andover Choir. He also was able to express his commitment to children and the Arts by serving as the Producer of the Andover High School Drama theatrical productions alongside his best friend Bob Lague. If you were wondering where Doug was some evening, he was either at choir or play practice.
Bob Lague and his wife Nancy introduced Doug to the great love of his life, Josie Walker, and in 1990 they married and he became part of her family and step-father to her three children, Sarah, Nathan and Shorey. Family and fatherhood were always of paramount importance to Doug, and in 1992 Doug and Josie expanded the love of their family through the adoption of their son Bill. This decision was Doug’s proudest commitment and a source of great happiness to him, particularly the three wonderful grandchildren his son and his wife Christen brought to Doug’s life, Gabriel, Jacobe Douglas, and Aubrey.
Doug loved to learn and enjoyed traveling, especially with his wife Josie. Many cross country road trips, plus journeys to Australia, Europe and The Panama Canal, gave Doug and Josie tremendous happiness and fulfillment. Their favorite place to go, however, was their cottage in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where they hosted friends and family together every summer for over 30 years.
Doug taught us all how to have a meaningful life and to approach everything with integrity, peace, love, humor, and joy.
We welcome you to join us in our Celebration of Life, at South Church in Andover, MA, Saturday September 7 th at 4 p.m., with “Cast Party” to follow.
Author: funeralcosts.com
https://obituaries.andovertownsman.com/obituary/w-douglad-halsted-1090670868