Douglas C. Terry was born December 5th, 1950. Our friend and brother left us on Sunday, August 9th, 2026. His death from Alzheimer's is cause for sadness, but also relief. It was difficult to watch the slow but steady decline that this terrible form of dementia wrought on him. As it became more and more difficult for him to communicate, and as his strong body gave in to the disease, it was difficult to accept that there was very little anyone could do to help him on this final journey. Our relief comes from knowing his torment is over.

Doug grew up in a little community known as Galena Park, a suburb east of Houston, TX along the banks of the Houston ship channel. Our small homes were flanked by huge steel mills, paper mills, and refineries where most of our parents worked. Doug's parents owned a small floor covering business, and Jim and Margie loved their kids with all their heart. They died a few years apart in New Mexico, where they had moved in retirement so they could be close to Doug and his only son, James Douglas (Jimmy Doug).

Doug was the youngest of three brothers. His oldest brother David died many years ago, and his other brother Duane survives him. The Terry boys were each unique and strong- willed individuals. Their family was well known for their kind-hearted generosity to our little community, and for the antics and accomplishments of the boys. Doug was always an overachiever. He played football on scholarship to Southern Methodist University. While at SMU he also started organizing snow skiing trips for his well-to-do classmates to Taos during Christmas and Spring Break in order to try and make some extra money...and as if running a ski excursion business while playing football wasn't enough, Doug wrote and published a novel during his last year at SMU and over the next year while pursuing post-graduate studies. The novel (originally titled "The Cheerios Kid" ) was published "The Last Texas Hero" because the cereal company wouldn't let their name be used for the title! The book is a very entertaining chronicle of what life is like when you play football for a big-time college program. Doug was very proud of that accomplishment, as he should have been. Doug then started the Taos ski and sports business in Taos, right out of college. He owned that business for many years before moving it to Steamboat Springs.

For a working-class boy from Galena Park to an athlete, scholar and college entrepreneur at SMU, he became a Bonafide success in the ski business. Through it all, Doug made good lifelong friends that he valued greatly. He lived life fully with great energy and passion. He was about charging forward, banging his way through life's obstacles--on his way to success. It was a pleasure to have known him. We look forward to seeing you again, Doug, somewhere down the road.