Red Sky at Night, One Sailor's Delight!

This past Wednesday, I lost a friend and a neighbor I've enjoyed since coming to Peaks Island in the mid 1970's. Doug McVane passed away suddenly Wednesday night.

Doug was the first neighbor to greet us when we moved into our house and in those first few winters on the island, his and our lights were the only ones on our street. Doug was a "lifer"in the navy spending many years on submarines. When he retired, he returned to Peaks Island dropping his duffle bag on the porch of his island home where it still sits today.

Doug never married so we islanders were his family. He was a liberal's liberal devoting many of his hours on improving the life of islanders to whatever extent he could. He was a true environmentalist in the most basic way possible. I can't remember how many times I caught him walking the beach at the end of our street picking up trash and just enjoying the sea be it a clear sunny day or one of fog and drizzle.

Doug passed away suddenly while being transported to the mainland on the fireboat. Only fitting for a true sailor to end his time with us at sea.

Most every night, I'd see Doug walking through my neighbor's yard toting his walking stick to have a seat on their front stoop to watch the sunset. Sometime I'd join him for a chat about whether it was going to be a good one or just the normal above average one. On the Thursday evening after his passing, Jill took the camera and had a seat to watch the sun set in Doug's honor. It was a good one. Calm seas Doug!!