PORTLAND – Doug Lynch died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, in his wife’s arms at home in Portland. Doug was known as a very thoughtful, kind, and loving individual whose greatest priority was his family. He held them as his source of strength, joy, and meaning.

Born on Sept. 17, 1947 in Tulsa, Okla., Doug grew up in Glenwood Springs, Colo. He earned a B.A. in Political Science at Colorado College, Colorado Springs in 1970. In 1971 he earned an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. From there he moved to Maine where his lifelong love of teaching and learning took root and flourished. He taught high school in Bath as well as in Bangor, where he was head of the Social Studies Department. Doug met his wife, Patrice, and they married in 1977. Later he attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, earning an M.S. in Psychology in 1982 and a doctorate in Educational Psychology in 1984.

Doug was a university professor at Wichita State University in Kansas, Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, and at University of New England in Maine. He headed the education departments at both Wilkes U and UNE. He thrived as an educator, working from the early 1970s until he retired in 2014. In these decades he became known and respected for his hands-on teaching and contributions to the education field, specializing in Student-Based Learning and spearheading Online Learning programs.

In retirement, Doug retained his curiosity and passion for learning with an insatiable appetite for books, journals, and research articles on a wide range of topics. He continued to explore new and disparate interests. He attended courses at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM; he took guitar lessons, playing a variety of musical styles; he helped newly relocated immigrants with conversational English skills; he sat on the governing board of Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray; and he volunteered with political organizations to help restore the balance of democracy that has been so derailed in recent years.

Doug enjoyed being in nature, especially hiking and kayaking. He valued self-reflection, meditation, and the pursuit of spiritual ideas and understanding. Over the years, he enthusiastically participated in multiple 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreats.

Doug is survived by his wife, Patrice; son Jesse, daughter Jenny, son-in-law, Nick; grandson, Nolan; brother Dan, sister-in-law Carol; and many loved ones.

He was recently predeceased by his mother, Jeannette, who lived to be 102.

Doug will be sorely missed by his family and many friends who cherished his generous love and companionship.

A Celebration of Life will be hosted later when COVID-19 is less threatening. According to his wishes, Doug’s ashes will be spread in the mountains of Colorado and along the shores of the Atlantic in Maine.

Donations may be made in his memory to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or the American Cancer Society.