Doug Stuber (1954 - 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doug Stuber was a true renaissance man with eclectic interests. He enjoyed kayaking, skiing, biking, hiking, sports, and traveling the world. And, he loved everything connected with nature...plants, critters, water, fish, and sea turtles.

Doug’s last career assignment brought him to Florida and he discovered Amelia Island which immediately become home. Doug and his wife, Darla, volunteered as walkers for the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch in 2002. He was eager to become one of those "turtle people" and immediately fit in with the group. He loved the outdoors, the beach, and talking to people. After retiring in 2009, he became one of the permitted volunteers riding the beach to mark, monitor, and excavate nests. Always willing and ready to help, he also maintained and serviced the vehicles used to monitor the beach. Doug was passionate about learning and expanding his knowledge and sharing it with others. Talking to people on the beach during sea turtle patrol was a favorite pastime.
 
He cherished our community, our beach, and our sunrises. For several years, concerns were voiced about beach furniture left overnight and its impact on nesting turtles. It was a photograph Doug took one morning that helped concerned citizens work with city and county commissions on this growing issue. That one photo of a turtle crawl that made a u-turn in front of a barricade of beach furniture led to ordinances that now protect the beauty of our beach and the habitat for nesting turtles.

Doug also gave much of his time and talent to Fernandina Beach and to other volunteer organizations. He was on a committee to expand the original Fernandina Farmers Market, he participated in Shrimp Fest Parades, and he was a volunteer for Flowering Fernandina. Doug was a member of North American Native Fishes Association and Suncoast Killifish Association and traveled with fellow enthusiasts in the US and internationally collecting native species. He also enjoyed “keeping” and showing koi and was a member of the First Coast Koi Club.

Doug Stuber was a "bridge builder". He never met a stranger. He was always the last one to check in with Mary Duffy in the morning because he delighted in sharing knowledge of our island and our turtles with people he met on the beach. He lived life to the fullest. Doug could touch more people in one day than most of us could touch in a lifetime.