Douglas Macke

Douglas Wayde Macke, 64, was born in Winchester, Indiana, and yes, we did hold that against him. He was the most special person on the inside and on the outside. Rarely did you see him upset or with his Hawaiian shirt fully buttoned. He loved to use a physical road map (no matter how outdated they were), which made for plenty of quality family time in the car, usually lost. 

If you were lucky enough to meet this former redhead, it was likely at Doug's Golf Shop in St. Augustine Beach or downtown St. Augustine. Maybe you ran into him at a golf course, the sport being one of his truest loves in life. He was also an avid collector of quite a few things in this life—especially his cars, which, god knows, our family complained about for a few decades. He had a love for Rx-7's, Mazdas, and even a limo at one point that we could not understand, nor did we try much either. It was just so uniquely his and his only—not for anybody else to comprehend. 

When I mentioned earlier that he was rarely upset, I may have been a bit optimistic, but nobody could bring out his passionate side more than his beloved Green Bay Packers. (A truly terrible choice when you're trying to keep your blood pressure down.) There is nobody else in this world who was quite the cheesehead, more than him. 

He loved many things in this life, but his greatest love was his only child, his daughter, Brooke. When she was born, his smile stretched from ear to ear, and I don't know if that truly ever went away. He was taken from his family and all of those who loved him dearly on May 5, 2024. If you are reading this, drive safely so another child doesn't have to write an obituary far too early.