Douglas Davisson Meyers

Douglas Davisson Meyers, born March 5, 1930, passed away on September 18, 2024, at age 94. Doug was born in Portland, Oregon, where he lived all his life. He graduated from Washington High School and then went on to Oregon State College (now Oregon State University), where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. At OSU he met the love of his life, Phyllis Carol Briggs. They were married in 1953 and celebrated 71 years together in June 2024. He remained an enthusiastic Oregon State fan all his life. Doug spent most of his engineering career with Crown Zellerbach, but also worked at Tindel Machine, Jantzen Marine and James River Corporation. In the early 70’s he joined a small start-up home-building company in Bend. In 1962-1963, he and a high school friend designed and built an A-frame cabin near Mt. Hood. Construction was by hand, and from mixing concrete to framing to finishing, Doug did a majority of the work himself. In 1964, he and Phyllis bought a lot near Lake Oswego and built their dream house. Doug was responsible for much of the finish work including the creation of two custom glass-paneled doors. He and Phyllis developed the property with extensive landscaping, a deck designed for entertaining, fruit trees and a vegetable garden. Here they raised their three children, Leslee, Scott, and Michael, numerous cats and their beloved dog Satchmo. Doug remained in this home until his death. Doug was happiest being outdoors, both in his yard and camping and hiking in the forests around the mountains he loved. “Jeff Park” (at the base of Mt. Jefferson) was a favorite backpacking destination, and he visited that paradise with most members of his family. In addition, he was also a life-long student of World War II. Much of his reading involved war history and biographies of important figures of that time. He traveled to battlefield sites and often talked about what it was like growing up dominated by the war, and the life-and-death drama drawn from having four family members in different theatre's of the fight. He and Phyllis were ardent travelers. In addition to road trips around western North America, they visited Hawaii, Bermuda, Europe, Australia, and Thailand, often multiple times. He also enjoyed visits with his children and grandchildren, eagerly lending a hand and his expertise to their projects as well. Doug was a skilled and dedicated woodworker. He spent many happy hours in his basement shop, often listening to OSU and Blazer games on the radio. If sports were unavailable or the Beavers were not performing well, he’d turn on classical or big band music and, later in life, took a shine to opera. He and Phyllis also loved live theatre, BBC mysteries and Rick Steves travelogues. He was highly regarded by his family for his pickle and jam-making prowess. In 1998, a longtime dream was realized when he and Phyllis bought a small log cabin in Central Oregon. They went there frequently, often hosting family and friends and making treasured memories. He loved tinkering around the cabin and the one-acre grounds, getting advice and assistance from the easy-going proprietors in the Sisters community. Doug is survived by his wife Phyllis, his children, Leslee (Mike) Ortega of McKinney, TX, Scott Meyers (Nancy Urbano) of Tualatin, OR and Michael (Rochelle) Meyers of West Linn, OR., along with five grandchildren, Bryce Ortega, Kyle Ortega, Madilyn Ortega Bourdon, Aether Meyers and Elizabeth Meyers, along with nieces Linda Mallory, Penny Lopez, Chris Murphy, and many other relatives with whom he spent countless hours engaged in friendly and sometimes needling conversation. A CELEBRATION OF LIFE for Douglas Meyers is planned on SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2025. 1:00-3:00pm Aerie at Eagle Landing 10220 SE Causey Ave Happy Valley, Oregon 97086 (503) 698-8020 Please let us know if you will be attending: Leslee 310-938-7473 Memorial donations may be made to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), an organization Doug really loved. https://www.opb.org/give/

Douglas Davisson Meyers

March 5, 1930 - September 18, 2024