Art professor emeritus, Britons superfan, and former trustee was “embraced by everyone who knew him”

Trustee Doug Goering died Oct. 27 in Flint, Michigan at age 81. He is survived by his wife, Sue, two daughters, and two granddaughters.

“Doug was part of the beating heart of Albion College,” said Jim Whitehouse ’69. “He was beloved and respected in the classroom and by his colleagues. He was a capable and empathic administrator as Associate Provost and later Trustee. He was known to athletes and coaches as their number one fan. He was embraced by everyone who knew him as a kind and caring friend.”

A member of Albion’s Art and Art History department for 22 years, Goering won a number of awards for teaching, scholarship and service to the College. In addition to teaching painting and drawing and serving on countless faculty committees, Goering served a term as associate dean of the faculty. Seven years following his 2008 retirement, Goering became the first faculty member appointed to the Board of Trustees, a position he held until 2022.

Goering’s devotion to his art majors and classes was famously matched by his enthusiasm for Albion College in general and the football, basketball, and track programs in particular. Goering attended dozens of home and away athletic competitions each year, and developed many friendships with students through his faithful fandom.

“I feel so fortunate to have had Doug as a wise mentor during my years at Albion, and as a beloved friend ever since,” said Brook McClintic Griese ’97. “I’m grateful that I was able to say goodbye to him in his last days, and to share with him just how much he has meant to me and to so many who were deeply impacted by his genuine care and loving kindness. I will forever feel his gentle encouragement as I put paintbrush to canvas—and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he has touched.”

In 2008, Albion College alumni and colleagues established the Doug Goering Scholarship in Art and Art History, awarded annually to the department’s most promising students. For those wishing to honor Goering’s memory, his family have requested donations to the Goering Scholarship.

A former Green Beret, Goering will be interred in a private ceremony at the Great Lakes National Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 20, 2024 at the Ann Arbor City Club (1830 Washtenaw Ave.) from 2 to 4 p.m.