Douglas Frick, 63, of Laramie, Wyoming died on November 16th. 

Born in 1961 to Ella and Cy Frick, Doug grew up in Sequim, Washington where his love of the outdoors was nurtured by days on the family farm and time in his beloved Olympic Mountains. Boy Scouts was an important part of his outdoor education; he became an Eagle Scout in 1978. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle, studying math and computer science. This is where he met Marie, his browned-eyed girl and the love of his life. After their early married life in the Seattle area, Doug and Marie moved to Makaha, Hawaii in 1990 and lived there for 15 years. Doug earned his Master’s degree from the University of Hawaii, but what he loved was his time spent in the ocean: swimming, snorkeling and body surfing. He loved to body surf BIG waves, earning him the nickname “Otter.” He also hiked all over Oahu with his good friends. 

After 15 years of married life adventuring all over the world, Connor and Lauren were born. Doug was an incredible father, a nurturing and understanding soul. The kids were out hiking with him as soon as they could walk.

Doug’s work as a computer programmer gave him the flexibility to work from home. He wanted to be in a small town close to family, so in 2005 moved to Laramie. The kids grew up with their cousins and Doug helped build a business that allowed him to have lots of family time.

The lasting impact of Doug’s life is how he led and taught kids. First with his own kids, his much-loved nieces and nephews and his ‘Ohana — he took them all hiking, skiing, swimming, camping, backpacking, biking and adventuring. Then there were all the Scouts he influenced, setting an example of how to constructively build fellowship and community. He attended Wood Badge in 2010, was the Cubmaster and had numerous other roles in Boy Scouts. He was also “man enough to be a Girl Scout.” For the past 11 years, coaching the Nordic team at Laramie Middle School was his passion. Doug taught so many kids how to ski, how to fall, and how to love the sport. He called them his “ducklings” and they followed him everywhere, both on and off trail.

After suffering a massive heart attack last February, Doug had completely recovered and enjoyed every minute of his “bonus life.” The heart attack that took him was sudden and unexpected. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Marie, his children Connor and Lauren, his parents, his siblings Sonja and Craig and numerous nieces and nephews.

There are no plans for a service at this time. The best way to honor Doug and his life is to go outside and do something, anything. Take a hike, look at the night sky, breathe and love life.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the Medicine Bow Nordic Association to support the trails that meant so much to Doug.