Douglas Epitomizes Volunteering

Bill Douglas genuinely loves to help people and enjoys serving his community and church.

But the 76-year-old Lake Placid man has another reason for giving countless hours of his time as a volunteer.

"I have diabetes, and I have had a pacemaker put in and had a stent put in," Douglas said. "My doctor told me 'keep busy' because I have four brothers - one older and one younger than me died in the last two years. My oldest and youngest brothers are dying now."

Douglas is a volunteer at the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce, working on Friday afternoons. But he spends many more hours there. At this time of year he is at office five mornings a week clearing the acorns off the sidewalk.

"The chamber is fun," he said. "I volunteer for every activity they have.

"You meet a lot of different people; people from all over the world come into that chamber," Douglas said. "A lot of times I will find people from Wisconsin or some where I know up there. It's surprising when you start talking to people how many things you have in common and how many people you know that they know. You have never seen these people before in your life."

Douglas was honored last month as the Lake Placid Chamber's Volunteer of the Year. He was described as having "endless energy and a keen sense of humor."

Douglas is the secretary and the secretary/treasurer at New Life Lutheran Church in Sebring. He also does maintenance and repair work around the church and the parsonage.

A native of Wisconsin, Douglas said volunteering is "in his blood."

As a youngster, Douglas said his grandmother, who lived with his family in his hometown of Waukesha for quite a while, always taught him to help people.

"I would shovel snow for people, mow their lawns, dig up their gardens - this was during World War II - and help them at no charge," he said.

Douglas said he raised his five sons and two daughters the same way.

"One day (wife) Joy and I were riding down the freeway in Milwaukee," he said. "It was during rush hour and I see this car off to the side with a flat tire. I see this pickup truck behind him. There is my son changing a flat tire."

Douglas said he was involved in Little League baseball, and a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader for many years.

"I help a lot of people, anybody that needs any help with anything," Douglas said. "A lot of the older people around here can't get somebody to fix this or fix that. They call me, and I go and help them."

The satisfaction is just helping somebody who needs something done, Douglas said.

An electrician for 42 years, Douglas retired in 1994.

He was great to have as a neighbor - especially during the winter.

"I loved the cold," he said. "I would come home from work as an electrician and would grab my snow blower. I would get home about 4:30. I would blow snow all over the neighborhood, blow everybody's drive ways out. I'd be out there until 11 o'clock at night blowing snow just for the fun of it.

"I loved snow blowing in your face," he added. "I'd come in with white snow all over me and in my ears. It was fun."