Douglas McPhail

Douglas C. “Mac” McPhail, 75, died Wednesday, December 5, 2018 in Altru Hospital, Grand Forks.

Douglas Clayton McPhail, the son of Dr. Clayton and Margaret (Beckwith) McPhail, was born  at Crosby, North Dakota on April 4, 1943.  He was raised and educated at Crosby, graduating from Crosby High School in 1961.  Doug attended UND where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. At UND he was a member and past president of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.    Douglas  McPhail and Fay Hermanson were united in marriage on June 11, 1966 in First Lutheran Church at Lignite, North Dakota.    They lived at Thief River Falls, Minnesota until moving to Grand Forks in 1969. 

Douglas was an art educator in the Grand Forks Public School system, first at Nathan Twining School at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and later at Red River High School until he retired after 29 successful years.  Teaching was a passion for him and he enjoyed inspiring students in their creative development.  One of his greatest joys was to observe his former students succeed in the art world.  Doug himself was accomplished in drawing and painting.  While he was teaching, he served a four-year term on the ND Teachers Professional Practices Commission.  He was a member and past president of the Grand Forks Education Association (GFEA) and a member of NDEA and NEA.   

Doug was an art collector and a patron of the fine arts.  He was also a passionate advocate of art in the community, serving as Board of Directors/Trustee Emeritus and the North Dakota Museum of Art.    He performed as a tenor with the Grand Forks Barbershoppers and UND Varsity Bards. 

Douglas had a passion for the Olympics, traveling to several.  He enjoyed traveling and his favorite destinations were Norway and the Canadian Rockies.

Another passion for Doug was sports .  He successfully competed in high school football, track and field, and hockey.  He coached junior high school football and track and field at Nathan Twining.  He enjoyed golfing and curling in Thief River Falls.  He was an avid Sioux hockey and football fan and a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins.

Doug was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church.

Douglas is survived by his wife, Fay, Grand Forks;  siblings, Ronald, Pensacola, FL, Paul, Ambrose, ND, Joan (Ron) Lewis, East Bethel, MN,  and Liz (Hank) Bell, Pensacola, FL;  a sister-in-law, Kay McPhail, New London, WI;  many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.    He was preceded in death by his parents;  a brother, Brian;  and a sister-in-law, Ginger.

Memorial Services  will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, December 17, 2018 in Calvary Lutheran Church, 1405 S. 9^th St., Grand Forks.  Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service in the church. Memorials are preferred to The North Dakota Museum of Art, Calvary Lutheran Church, or the Grand Forks Public Schools Foundation for Education.