Douglas Keith Carl, Sr., 85, formerly of Ottumwa, died Friday, June 16, at the Galena-Stauss Nursing Home in Galena, Illinois.  Doug was born February 12, 1932 in Harlan, Iowa to Valentine and Orimal (Woodhouse) Carl, the oldest of their eight children. He felt great responsibility for his siblings and worked to help provide for their upkeep.   While attending Harlan High School, he met the woman who would become the love of his life, Mary Louise Poole. The Korean War was being fought when he graduated, so Doug decided to join the U.S. Navy. After Doug finished Boot Camp, he was granted a 10 day leave during which he returned to Harlan to wed Mary. They were married April 14, 1952 and moved to naval housing in the Washington, D.C. area. He served on the Destroyer Tender Sierra.   The Carls had four children:  Pam; Doug, Jr.; Delight and a baby who died in childbirth.   Once Doug completed his four-year service in the Navy, the family moved to Maryville, Missouri, where Doug received a bachelor degree in math and science from Northwest Missouri State College.   He was hired to teach math in the Denver, Colorado Public school system. During that time, he also attended classes at the University of Colorado.   The family moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where both Doug and Mary taught at Logan Junior High. He later received a master’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa. During his summer breaks, he sold real estate and cemetery plots or rehabbed houses.  Doug and Mary retired in 1994. At that point, they decided to split their time between two homes — the warm months on Lake Andrusia, Minnesota and the cool months in Mesa, Arizona. He also took up several hobbies, including carving canes and building children’s playhouses.  Eventually, they sold both their places and moved to Ottumwa, Iowa to be near their daughter, Pam, and her family. There, they joined the Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as elder, Sunday school assistant and Bible study teacher.   He is survived by his son, Doug (Julie), and his daughter, Delight (Jim), son-in-law, George, as well as five grandchildren (Karena and Adam Carl, Amber and Austin McCrea and Chelsea Leming) and eight great-grandchildren.   Doug was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Pam and his unnamed baby daughter, and three siblings, Jeff, Carolyn and Roxanne.   A small private celebration of Doug’s life was held at the First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 18, 2016 at 3 p.m.

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