Beloved professor, priest, husband, uncle, stepfather and friend, the Rev. John Eugene “Jack” Dougher, 81, of Newport News, passed away on Sept. 29, 2012, surrounded by family and loved ones.
Born Sept. 25, 1931, in Archbald, Pa., the son of Thomas and Mary Dougher, Jack was preceded in death by his sisters, Madelon and Mary, and brother, Thomas.
He is survived by his loving wife, Josephine “Josie” Dougher, and 13 nieces and nephews.
He graduated from St. James High School, Penns Grove, N.J., in 1949, served in the U.S. Army in Okinawa as a drill sergeant, earned his Master of Arts Degree from Catholic University, and was a member of the 1965 Oblates of St. Francis de Sales ordination class.
A Catholic priest for 35 years, mostly teaching in inner cities and doing social justice work, founded two churches in Mathews and Middlesex County, Va., pastored the Church of St. Therese in Gloucester and was active in the Cursillo Movement and Marriage Encounter.
He was a published author, taught comparative religion, ethics, Eco-justice, New Cosmology at Saint Leo University and Thomas Nelson Community College, after retiring from the clergy, and was a very active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula, where he sometimes preached and often taught adult religious education courses.
He was a visionary, a deeply spiritual man, wise, kind, scholarly, with a great sense of humor. His passion in life was to transform our culture into one that honored and cared for earth and all her creatures. Jack experienced and shared a great awe for creation, which he considered the primary revelation of the sacred.
A memorial service, celebrating his life, was held at 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula, 13136 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, phone, 757-369-1098. It took place in the Fellowship’s Sanctuary, with a reception following.
In lieu of flowers, Jack’s wife, Josie, asks that donations in Jack’s memory be made to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula Endowment.