Doug Alexander Obituary (1949 - 2025)

Charles Douglas “Doug” Alexander, aged 75 years old, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2025, in Cedar City, Utah. Doug was a loving husband, father, grandpa and great-grandpa, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend. Doug was born December 14, 1949, to Charles Kenneth and Mildred Marguerite (Murphy) Alexander, and spent his childhood years in Phoenix, Arizona, with his loving parents and three sisters, Carol, Joyce (Rogers), and Shirley (Smith). Some of his greatest memories were playing and watching baseball with his dad and spending time with his friends and family. Doug spent his teenage years in Orange County, California, where he spent summers surfing and goofing off at Huntington and Newport beaches. Doug met and fell in love at age 16 with his soulmate, best friend, and wife of 56 years, Christine “Chris” (Anderson). Together they lived in Orange County, California; Prescott, Arizona; and Vancouver, Washington, until settling in Nelson/Durham, California, where they raised their five children. The greatest love of Doug’s life was Chris. But his early years in Arizona sparked what some might say was his first love—Giants baseball, and his deep admiration of Willie Mays, who inspired his amusing term of endearment, “that’s Willie-Maysing!” Doug loved coaching baseball and supporting his kids and grandkids in all sporting and other endeavors. His love of baseball poured over into life lessons, too—always reminding his kids and grandkids of his “three C’s of baseball” (stay calm, have confidence, and be in control) whenever they needed to focus their efforts to succeed. He helped his kids pursue their passions and was their biggest cheerleader along the way. Doug was a lifelong reader, writer, music lover, creative thinker, and gardener. Always game for a new adventure, a drive to explore a national park, a family camping trip in the mountains, or a visit to a new museum, Doug had an insatiable hunger for knowledge, and quite honestly, for food of all kinds. Doug found humor in everyday life, always jotting down and sharing funny quips he’d heard during the day. A favorite family pastime was sitting around the living room while he regaled the family with colorful stories of his own mishaps and misadventures—stories he could rarely finish without doubling over in laughter. He never skipped an opportunity to poke fun at himself, and his laughter was contagious. Doug’s positive outlook was, counterintuitively, and at least in part, inspired by the “triumph through tragedy” nonfiction books that he devoured. To him, these stories translated into an understanding of and respect for the strength of the human spirit. Likewise, Doug’s lifelong faith in Jesus Christ guided him through life’s challenges and helped him establish a solid foundation upon which his children could grow, learn, and thrive in a spiritually trying world. Doug found the greatest joy in being with children, in whom he saw innocence, creativity, compassion for others, and a simple happiness. He believed children serve as examples to adults and he always maintained a child’s hopeful outlook on life. Those who encountered Doug through his professional life may have carried to school a Columbia Sportswear or Caribou Mountaineering backpack he helped create, or may have known him by the ice cream treats he delivered in the Chico, California area during his second career as a “Schwan’s Man.” He was known and loved by many. Doug was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Joyce. He leaves behind his wife, Chris; his 5 children (Charles “Beck,” Tim (Amy), Ben (Tina), Holly Brown (Drake), and April (Ryan)); 16 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; sisters; many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends; and so many others he loved along the way. Doug’s family would like to thank the staff of Cedar Health and Rehabilitation for their compassion and tireless efforts to help Doug in his final months. At Doug’s wishes, no funeral services will be held. Online condolences can be sent to Cedar Valley Funeral Home at www.cedarvalleyfuneral.com.