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Prominent Cody custom home contractor Douglas Ugene Gail died May 3, 2023 after a courageous struggle with cancer.
Doug was born to Park Gail and Bettye (Wogoman) Gail in Cody on July 10, 1962. Doug graduated from Cody High School in May of 1980. Upon graduation he attended Black Hills State for a year and then continued on at the University of Wyoming majoring in geology. He graduated with his Bachelors of Science in 1986 and “being tired of living as a poor college student,” began work in North Dakota on a drilling rig. While in North Dakota, he was presented with an opportunity to work on an oil platform off the coast of Houston. He lived and worked in Houston for about three years and during that time, he started his postgraduate education.
Doug’s professional career began to take shape when he moved to Denver and commenced employment with S.M. Stoller. While with Stoller, he traveled throughout the United States overseeing environmental cleanup sites, eventually working his way up to having partial ownership in the company. In 1999, he moved to Idaho and was integral over the years in helping to grow the company by procuring many contracts that fueled Stoller’s success.
Doug and Tina Caldwell were married Oct. 13, 2001 in Blackfoot, Idaho. In 2003, their first son, Jackson, was born in Blackfoot and in 2007, their second son, Carter, was born in Idaho Falls. Later that year, the Gail family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado and then to Cody in 2012, where Doug longed to return and have his boys start their schooling. After several years in Cody, the marriage to Tina ended in divorce.
Doug passed on his love for sports to his sons. He was their greatest encourager and champion, an ever-present father cheering them on in their many athletic endeavors including hockey, wrestling, baseball, basketball, football and of course, soccer. Doug often helped coach their sports teams as well. Jackson and Carter were the light of Doug’s life. In all he did, Doug’s aim was to provide for their future and impart godly character and values into their lives.
Another draw of returning to Cody for Doug was to be more intimately involved in the day-to-day management of Gail Construction, of which he was the fourth-generation owner. Doug’s vision for the family business was to help restore and revive it to a company that would be considered the very best in Cody. Doug was a man of extreme integrity and the high standards he kept in his personal life drove the standards for his leadership in Gail Construction. Among his special gifts and talents was the ability to foster friendships with many customers over the years while he was personally involved with their projects. Jim Talich, Doug’s business partner, stated, “Doug’s high energy and spirit in thinking outside the box, will be missed. The family building legacy is in intact, and his family carpenters who have preceeded Doug would be proud.”
Doug’s priorities in life were God, family, friends and country. He dearly loved Cody, the surrounding areas and all the recreational opportunities that the Cowboy State provided. The day before his death, he marveled at the beauty of Carter Mountain’s snow-capped peaks. Doug’s faith was intertwined in all he did. A business colleague noted, “Visits about job aspects would lead to discussions about the Lord. I found myself just stopping by to rejoice in the goodness of God.” Another friend shared; they were partnering on a project when Doug was first diagnosed with cancer. “At the time, I was also working through a challenging life situation. Doug called daily, not to complain about his challenges but to see how I was doing.” Another notable quality of Doug’s, that was mentioned by many, was his sense of humor. Once, in an impromptu visit with him, after he lost his hair from chemotherapy, he said, “Well dang, I haven’t had a chance to do my hair yet.”
Throughout Doug’s illness and eventual death, he displayed amazing character and perspective. He was always smiling, joking and caring about others. He never complained about his illness. This led one doctor, and the attending nurses, who had not previously cared for Doug, to ask the family privately, “Does he know he has terminal cancer?”
Doug was preceeded in death by his father Park Gail. He is survived by his children, Jackson and Carter Gail. His mother, Bettye Dominick and stepfather, Marshall Dominick, sister Kim (Josh) Howell, niece Hailey (Jackson) Ronnow and nephew, Austin Howell, aunts and uncles Beryl and Winston Churchill and Gary Wogoman and Carolyn Ross. Doug will be missed by his many friends, business associates, cousins and extended family.
Memorial service will be held Friday, May 12 at 11 a.m. at the Cody CMA Church, 147 Cooper Lane East, Cody, WY. Memorial contributions may be made to Cody CMA Church at codycma.org/give/.
Memories and condolences can be left on Doug’s memorial page at BallardFH.com.
