Obituary - Louis George Doukas

DOUKAS, “Lousy” Lou – A Legend in His Own Mind – Lou Reached the Exit and passed through the turnstile on February 18, 2023. Born at a very early age in the unspellable Schenectady, New York, he moved to The Bronx to perfect his Cheer and spent his Wonder Years in Hollis, Queens. He acquired the nickname “Lousy” from his friends; “Sneaky” Steve, “Big” Bruce, “Bashful” Bob, and “Fast” Frank.

The New York City Department of Education presented him with tantalizing opportunities; Sixth through Eighth grades condensed to two years; Stuyvesant High School; and a tuition-paid Undergraduate Degree in Theater with a Minor in English. He gobbled them all up, acting for the rest of his life.

He rode galloping Quarter Horses, drove Blinding-fast Sports Cars, and flew Supersonic Aircraft. His trusty Motobecane pedaled him all over the East Coast. When he wanted his first 21” Color TV, he built it, soldering long into many nights. For fifty years he tooled, carved, punched, and sewed leather hides to supply his friends and family with belts, wallets, holsters, musical instrument straps, embossed art, and cases. Since achieving the level of Master Leathercrafter, huge herds of cattle would part in front of him as he walked among them. For ten years he could be seen bobbing through the clouds in Hot Air Balloons as a contract pilot for Balloon enterprises from Tampa, to Charlotte, to Ashland. He also had a day job; coding, managing, and integrating State government computer systems in processing their MEDICAID health system claims.

Lou tested all of his boundaries, and if he did not take a step across them, he at least looked very hard at the other side. From a toupee to a shaved pate, from morbidly obese to rail thin. He ate life in big bites, although they came back up at him from time to time.

As amazed as he was to the cumulative gold rings life threw at him, nothing prepared him for his love, wife, and best friend, the Mighty Martha. Her solo brave travels within South America, clear mind, ethical standards, and continued love of a life that was often cruel to her family, taught him much. He felt, other than chaos, not much to have offered her except his devotion.

Even an escape from a lose-everything, devastating fire did not faze them or keep them from starting from scratch with determination. Lou and Martha had pre-arranged their cremation costs, but neither expected there was a mandatory ‘Dress Rehearsal’.

He is survived by Martha and their free-spirited daughter Alexis Lyons and her Southern Gentleman husband Barry whose teeth actually glisten when he smiles. Together they delighted him with two most excellent grandchildren, Sara (his rock) and Keyes (his roll). Instead of calling Lou and Martha Grandpa and Grandma, they preferred the more melodic Bebop and Lula. And lastly by his eudemonic brother George (whose every sentence contained a laugh), from Ronkonkoma, New York. He is perhaps the happiest soul on the planet, finding a way to remove the inconsequential stupidity in life, and concentrating on the more important loving matters he and his wife Carol shared.

Lou’s greater family and close circle of friends spanned the globe, offering he and Martha respite from worries, the comfort of memories, and places to crash.

So, please remember him by raising a glass, lighting a pipe, or baking some brownies. Above all:

CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, DANCE TO THE MUSIC

All these things he did - or so he said.