Cloudy, 26° F
Douglas Harris, 53, passed away peacefully at home on Feb. 28, 2023. A service will be held at Shepherd of the Valley Church on Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m. with reception to follow. It will also be live streamed using the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81441698753?pwd=YmZqZTArb0E0SXR2cXdjRFN0ZXFqQT09.
Doug was born on July 20, 1969 in Powell, Wyoming to Roy and Muriel Harris. He loved being outdoors playing baseball and ice skating. He began playing the piano at the age of 7 and continued to play for his lifetime. He graduated from Powell High School in 1987. He attended Northwest Community College and received an associate degree in music in 1989. He attended the May School of Broadcasting and graduated in 1990 with a degree in recording engineering. He married Arlea Bryan on Sept. 1, 1990 in Thermopolis, Wyoming.
He continued with higher education at Montana State University-Billings, completing his Bachelor of Science in Education for Elementary Education and Broadfield Social Science in 1998, along with his Master of Science in Education with a focus on school counseling in 2000.
After graduating with his M.S.Ed., he and his wife moved to Alaska and started teaching in the village of Gambell. They then moved to Shishmaref, where he became a school counselor and teacher.
In 2002, Doug and Arlea relocated to Juneau, where he entered the private sector and became a licensed professional counselor. He worked as the assistant clinical director at Juneau Youth Services. Doug was a clinician for JYS in their residential treatment program and then became the clinical director for Juneau Alliance for Mental Health Inc, or JAMHI. When JAMHI Health and Wellness began providing medical services through their clinic in the Housing First Project, he became the chief integrated services officer. He retired eight months after his Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis to focus on family and health.
Doug loved people and had a deep connection with many. His sense of humor and wit made for a lot of laughter, and people were drawn to him. He had an uncanny ability to recognize people in any location even when he had not seen them for 30 years. He spent many hours researching his genealogy and connecting family who had not seen each other for many years. He had the ability to draw people out with his sense of humor and make them comfortable through his genuine sense of caring.
Doug was a Freemason and greatly loved by his brother Masons. He began his Masonic journey in Billings in 1991 where he joined the Lavina-Temple Lodge #101. He was raised to the degree of Master Mason in his lodge in 1992. He then became a member of the York Rite of Freemasonry Billings Bodies followed by becoming a Shriners International Noble in the Al Bedoo Shrine Temple. After moving to Juneau he affiliated with Mt. Juneau-Gastineaux Lodge #21 where he subsequently served as Master of the Lodge in 2018. In that year he also served as the senior grand steward for the Grand Lodge of Alaska. In 2013 Doug became a 32° Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Juneau and subsequently served as the venerable master of the Lodge of Perfection in 2019.
As a Scottish Rite Mason he became a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society in Washington D.C. and the Juneau Chapter of the Knights of St. Andrew. In 2017 he was granted knighthood by the Royal Order of Scotland and received the degrees of Rosy Cross and Heredom of Kilwinning. From 2016 to 2018 he served as the worthy patron of the Juneau Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. His dedication to the craft extended to Masonic youth groups where he served as the adult adviser and as a member of the Advisory Council for the Juneau Chapter of DeMolay International, and as rainbow dad and as a member of the Advisory Council for the Juneau Chapter of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls. In 2018 he was awarded the Grand Cross of Color by the Supreme Council of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls.
As a Master Mason, Worshipful Brother Doug Harris has laid down his working tools, his labors on this earth are finished, he has performed true and square work. He will continue his labors on the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Doug was preceded in death by his father, Roy Harris, and his mother, Muriel Harris. He is survived by his wife, Arlea, and his two children, Stacia and Mason; siblings Aaron Harris (Glennda) of Hatfield, Wisconsin, Pauline McAdam (Calvin) of Powell, Wyoming, and Carla Cockrell (Curtis) of Lovell, Wyoming; as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
