Date: September 27, 2008
About: Jerry Douglas - Class of 1970

Your Turn with Jerry Douglas

Source: Quincy Herald Wig
Author:

When I was a kid, I wanted to be ... a professional baseball player.

What would you rather be doing right now? Hanging out with my sons and brothers.

Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone that ... I am an ordained minister.

Other than your wedding day and/or the birth of your children, what was your proudest moment? My graduation from college. I was first in my family on either side.

It really stinks when ... people make harsh judgments about other people.

What word in the dictionary would your face be next to? Considerate.

I always laugh when ... I think of my grandson, T.J.

Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? Martin Luther King Jr., my hero who stood for equality and racial justice; Moses, the writer of the first five books of the Bible, to learn more about his experiences with God; and Denzel Washington, my favorite actor.

At the end of a really long day at work, I like to ... kick off my shoes, lay on my sofa and veg out on a movie.

People who knew me in high school thought I was ... a good basketball player.

My most unforgettable brush with greatness was with ... Patrick Ewing. We were in Chicago for the 1982 McDonald's All-American game that my brother, Bruce, was playing in. He happened to be staying at the hotel where we were. There were several tall young basketball players there. We just exchanged greetings and a very short conversation, but I was very impressed with Ewing's presence and demeanor.

I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to ... hear Diana Ross in concert.

If someone gave me a million dollars, there is still no way I would ... jump out of an airplane.

America should be more concerned about ... parenting, supervision and care of its young people.

I'm OK if there's ever a national shortage of ... family pictures.

What place in the world would you most like to visit? Israel. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and have read, studied and tried to learn as much as I can about the Bible. Israel is where most of the Bible occurred, and where Jesus was born and lived. It would be incredible to see the places where he walked, talked and did miracles.

What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received? Never quit or give up. That's from Coach Dick Thompson.

When I'm cruising down the road, I'm likely listening to ... gospel music. I like many different types of gospel music and listen to many different styles. My favorite is worship music, mostly contemporary, with a powerful message about the awesomeness of God, how he loves us, and how he wants to bless our lives through a personal relationship with Him.

I always get sentimental when ... I hear a story about a person who triumphed over a difficult situation in their life.

The older I get, the more I realize ... that relationships with people are the most meaningful things in life.

If I had one "do-over," I would ... repeat my senior year of high school.

My favorite item of clothing is ... my black suit. I married my two sons, Andy and Tony, in that suit.

If I've learned anything at all ... I learned that people worry about too many things that really aren't that important.


Jerry Douglas, 55, is the director of education at Chaddock, where he has worked for the past eight years. He grew up in Quincy, and graduated from Quincy High School and from Western Illinois University with a teaching degree in U.S. history. He and his wife, Trish, have been married for 34 years, and they have four sons -- Andy, Tony, Aaron and Alex. He loves to hang out with his sons, watch sports and play them sometimes.