Wayne Douglas

Wayne Virginia Goss Douglas May 27, 1935 – October 16, 2017 ...died peacefully, surrounded by her children, in Narragansett, RI on October 16, 2017 of complications from lung cancer. She was 82 years old. Born in Waterbury, CT, Wayne was the second of four children born to Richard Wayne Goss and Virginia Johnston Goss. As a girl, she attended St. Margaret’s School in Waterbury, then Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, MD. During many of these years, she also attended Camp Wohelo in South Casco, Maine, where she learned woodcraft skills and the campfire songs that she would later sing with her daughters and granddaughters. Wayne graduated from Vassar College in 1956 with a B.A. in English. Shortly thereafter, she was married to Archibald Douglas III, with whom she enjoyed a 57-year adventure. As a young bride, Wayne lived first in Middlebury, CT, then Gates Mills, OH and Iron Mountain, MI, before settling in Louisville, KY in late 1960. Wayne flourished in Louisville, joining the Junior League, volunteering with Planned Parenthood, and serving on the board of the Louisville Ballet. Among bright memories were late-night Christmas Eve parties held at the Douglas house, with dancers leaping to and fro, spreading tinsel, far from their own homes and families, but included in Wayne’s. Reflective and smart, Wayne also loved Louisville’s social life. The River Valley Club, the Louisville Country Club, the church choir at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church – these were all happy places for her, filled with friends, tennis, music, good works…and always flowers. She devoted particular attention to her gardens – flower, vegetable, and Japanese – at Quarry Hill, overlooking the Ohio River. But her love of nature and the outdoors was also political. She served as president of Strategies for Environmental Control in 1975-1976. In 1976, Wayne and Archie moved to Lawrence Township, NJ, and there she took on the challenge of Willowgate Farm, a centuries-old estate that had been well-maintained but which responded even more to her visionary touch. During these years, Wayne earned a B.S. in Geology as well as a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, both from Rutgers University. This led to a successful and respected, albeit low-key, practice as a landscape designer. As much as Wayne loved plants and flowers, it developed that her real passion – and her great strength – was design. She became passionate about ornamental grasses, berms, and the like. Her designs curved and swayed, reflecting the natural rhythms of the sites on which she worked. At the same time, Wayne’s skill drew the attention of local leaders, and she was appointed to a seat on the Lawrence Planning Commission, where she served for several enlightening years. She also was a regular member of Trinity Church in Princeton, drawn to its progressive philosophy and outreach programs. Wayne and Archie retired to Narragansett in December 1999. It had long been a summer destination, but now it was full-time. Reunited with lifelong friends, she set to work making Pine Lodge a home. As usual, a memorable flower garden was one of the results of that effort, with children, grandchildren and beloved friends coming and going to the house throughout each year. Golf and paddle tennis at Pt. Judith Country Club were a steady attraction, and summers turned around the Dunes Club and friends and family there. Winters in South Carolina at Yeamans Hall, along with long-dreamed-of travel became more the norm. And when Archie’s health declined, Wayne leaned in, stepped up, and pressed on. She worked the doctors, drove the car, and ran the show. After Archie’s death in March 2013, she slowed down briefly. But work on the Narragansett Historical Commission, loyal friends who included her in bridge and other pastimes, and a commitment to St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church provided purpose and activity. She grew used to a more independent life. Wayne’s illness came with surprising speed, but she faced it head-on with acceptance and grace. On October 2, 2017, the Narragansett Town Council extended its “appreciation and thanks” to Wayne for her “distinguished service to the community.” It was a fitting and appropriate acknowledgement of service. She is survived by a sister, Garril Goss Page, and a brother, Porter Johnston Goss (and predeceased by her brother, Richard Wayne Goss II), by four children – Archibald Douglas IV, Edith Wayne (Daisy)Douglas, Eliza Douglas McErlean, and Deirdre Hunt Douglas – and eight grandchildren. The classic matriarch, she showed us the way to live. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. And when we think of her, we will hear her advice: “Go in the ocean. The ocean will fix it.” A service will be held at 11am on Saturday, October 28, at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Narragansett, RI. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to South County Hospital Cancer Center, Animal Rescue League of South County, or St. Peter’s by-the-Sea.