Douglas Smith
Douglas D. Smith, Ph.D. (88), a long-time resident of Winnebago County passed away on May 11, 2026. He was born May 21, 1937, in Portage, WI to Glen Lyle and Evelyn May (Nitz) Smith. He grew up enjoying fishing, hunting, working at the A&W, and playing basketball.
Following graduation from UW-Platteville, he married his college sweetheart Janet Faye Green of Pecatonica, IL. He was grateful for National Science Foundation support for his graduate education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Ohio State University, the start of his becoming an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan.
He found his calling as a high school chemistry and physics teacher at Auburn and Guilford High Schools in Rockford, IL. He was honored to receive national recognition for teaching with the James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching. Doug and Janet, also a teacher, lived in Rockton for many years sharing a commitment to education.
After Janet’s untimely passing, Doug was fortunate in his retirement to find love again and marry Margery Evanson Orr, a math teacher at Guilford. They moved to Wesley Willows and had many happy years enjoying extensive travels before Margery’s death.
Doug is survived by children Glen Smith (Terri), Alice Stuhlmacher (Jim), Linda Smith (Jim Chamings), granddaughters Michelle Stuhlmacher (Bijan Fakhri), Anna Draughon (Gabriel), step-grandsons Adam and Eric Zace, grandson Alexander Smith, great-grandson Luca, and an aunt, Larryne Crawford.
Susan Kelley (OConnell)
Dr Smith was probably one of my most impactful teachers at Auburn. He helped prepare me for college chemistry at the University of Illinois although I still struggled with inorganic. He was fun to joust with verbally! For some reason, I made him a necktie to spice up his wardrobe. He was a great teacher and a good man.
David Mohr
Doctor Smith, PhD and I butted heads in Chemistry class.
However, his instruction stuck and was useful when I started working at Byron Nuclear Power Plant
as an Operator.
Both he and Donald Hucker (Physics) taught me the basics that I carried on through life.
RIP Doctor Smith & Mr Hucker.