Phillip J. Douglas

Phillip J. Douglas, age 91, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2025, after a short illness.

Phil was born in Lansing, Michigan, on March 8, 1934, to Maclin and Constance (Dynes) Douglas. He was a 1952 graduate of Lansing Eastern High School and received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Michigan State University in 1956. He went on to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education in 1960, and a Master of Science degree in Mathematics in 1966, both at MSU.

Phil met his wife, Karen, at the Lansing State Journal (LSJ) in 1953. Phil was making a payment for his brother’s newspaper route; Karen was an LSJ employee who collected the money. Karen and Phil were married on May 17, 1958, at Grace Lutheran Church in Lansing, where he was a faithful member for many years.

Phil was drafted into the US Army in 1957, and was stationed at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, for 2 years as a Mathematician with the Saturn Rocket program.

In 1960, Phil became a Mathematics teacher at East Lansing High School. In 1965, he became a Professor of Mathematics at Lansing Community College, retiring 30 years later after a rewarding and successful career.

In his retirement years, Phil found pleasure in volunteering for many groups, including the Red Cross and other Food and Shelter programs. Leveraging his talents and interest in photography, he also served on the Sparrow Hospital Archives Committee. He took photos not only for the hospital, but for the church and local community events. He and Karen self-published a cookbook entitled “Coffee with Mama,” which included recipes collected from Karen’s Swedish and Finnish family members and friends.

Phil and Karen also enjoyed traveling, and he was particularly happy to have travelled to Sweden and Finland several times, where he became an adopted member of Karen’s Scandinavian family.

Nothing gave Phil more joy than spending time with family. His six grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren (and one on the way) were cherished by him. He never missed the opportunity to joke with them and make them laugh.

He was also known for his genuine kindness, his amazing knowledge on many subjects, and his tremendous sense of humor. And, Phil definitely bled “Spartan Green,” and cheered for MSU at every opportunity.

He was pre-deceased by his devoted wife of 61 years, Karen Berg Douglas, in 2019. Also pre-deceasing him were his parents and his brother, Lee Douglas.

He is survived by his two loving daughters, Wendy (Scott) Bates of Stanton, Michigan, and Lisa (Robert) Rossi of Oakville, Ontario. He will forever be remembered by his much-loved grandchildren, Lexi (Shawn) Quirin, Morgan Bates, Aaron Bates, Dylan Bates, Matthew Rossi (Matthew), and Erika Rossi (Jordan). He was thrilled to have two great-grandchildren, Kellan and Luca Quirin.

The family wishes to thank the compassionate and caring staff of McLaren Hospital as well as the wonderful staff and residents of Independence Village-Grand Ledge, where Phil resided for the last five years.

The funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, with interment to follow in Deepdale Memorial Gardens. His family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Upon his passing, one of Phil’s former East Lansing High School students (class of 1962) commented, “He had a wonderful life, positively impacting so many with his love of math, Michigan and the Spartans. It was a pleasure to be associated with him all these years as he was a true gentleman”–a wonderful summary of his well-lived life as a husband, father, grandfather, teacher and friend.