DOUGLAS MAC LEAN

1930-2020

Douglas Mac Lean, aged

89, left us to be with our Lord on the morning of March 2, 2020. He passed quietly with family at his side in Austin, Texas, where he resided for over a decade with his wife, Suzanne.

Douglas, born in Michigan, was the son of Norma, Chief of Nurses at her hospital, and Murdoch, who was Chief Steward on a ship called the East Indian. (The ship was torpedoed by a U-boat in 1942, with only a handful of survivors. Murdoch, though severely injured and adrift for 13 days, was one of them.) Shortly after Doug’s birth the Mac Lean’s moved to Florida. On his 11th birthday the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Doug’s party was canceled.

After earning an ROTC scholarship Douglas attended Princeton, in New York, where he met Suzy who was attending Cornell. He sang with the Princeton Tigertones before opting to forgo his scholarship to attend Cornell with Suzy, whom he loved. He also loved to sing and could site-read music. At Cornell he was a founding member of the renowned vocal group, The Cayuga’s Waiters, which became an institution that still sings today. Douglas and Suzanne graduated as a married couple with first son, Doug II, in tow. After moving to Virginia, son Cameron arrived, making the family complete.

Douglas graduated with one of the first Business Degrees in the nation. This made him a hot commodity. He held jobs in South Carolina, New York and finally Texas, where he joined the team at the University of Houston - commonly referred to as Cougar High, in 1960. There he rose from Personnel Director, to Vice President, to Vice Chancellor working with the President, Phil Hoffman. Cougar High became the University of Houston Central Campus System under the direction of these two men.

Many of the most attractive parts of the campus had Doug’s deft touch in their inception and design. He was proud of the beautiful campus they built.

For the remainder of his career, Douglas expanded his skills into new management areas, traveling to Europe, Mexico, and Brazil to help restructure businesses and universities. He eventually retired from M.D. Andersen Cancer Center.

Probably most important among Doug’s many avocations was his love of Scouting and the outdoors. He was an Eagle Scout by age 14. As an adult he was the Scoutmaster of what became known as the Best Scout Troop in Houston - which helped hundreds of young men learn wilderness skills and basic rules for living, which would carry many through their lives. Douglas was honored locally, regionally and nationally by the Boy Scouts of America, with the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Distinguished Commissioner Award, St George Award, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, among others. He was made Regent for Life of the National Eagle Scout Association. Doug was most proud that both of his sons earned Eagle Scout rank and worked as Scout Camp Counselors across Texas.

Douglas is survived by his loving wife, Suzy, his two sons Doug II and Cameron - with his wife Cindy, and grandsons, Jackson and Thomas. Contributions in Doug’s honor may be made to the Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, or to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.