Nakama, Douglas

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DOUGLAS ALLAN YONEO NAKAMA, of Lethbridge, passed away suddenly at home, on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at the age of 70 years.

Doug is survived by his children that he had with Peggy - son Aaron (grandson Jack), son Eric (grandsons Kyler and Griffin), son Brock (Liisa and granddaughters Katriina, Hailey, and Lauren), and daughter Kari (Brad, grandson Noah, granddaughter Chloe, and youngest grandson Blake). He is also survived by his brother Ken (Maureen), sister Pam (Al), brother Cam (Denise), and sister Shawna (Rick). Doug loved his family and always made time to attend family gatherings, and bonding over sports. It's certain that his love of sports continued later in life, playing Oldtimers hockey and golfing with his buddies out at Picture Butte Golf Course. A loving big brother and protector - whether he was your brother, father, friend, grandfather, relative, teammate, or at the rink, diamonds, the golf course, or the finest skate sharpening - he will be missed by many.

A decorated athlete, Doug's sports history started with his siblings at an early age, and continued throughout his life. He had fond memories of getting hockey sticks for Christmas, going outside to play with them so much they'd end up breaking, taping them up and nailing them together so they could play throughout the rest of the winter. Doug was the winner of many first place trophies in judo, and very active in baseball (starting in 1965), football, basketball, track and field, and was awarded Athlete of the Year in 1971. His childhood interests in the ball and bat were shared with his siblings, often pretending they were in the World Series.

Doug's love of sports continued into his adult life. He was active in broomball, lacrosse, coaching his brother Cam's junior high football team, high school football, and senior women's basketball. Doug also played in the Canadian Men's Slowpitch Championships (1979), and was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame (2001) and the Alberta Softball Hall of Fame (2002) as a member of Gotschna, a team that captured four Provincial Championships, four League Titles, and four City Championships from 1979 to 1982 and built a record of 120 wins and nine losses in their top season season.

In his professional life, Doug was widely known in hockey community as THE BEST skate sharpener in the city (while working several years at Players Bench)â€¦ and everyone knew it! Many people often commented to Brock about how he needed to get "Douggie" back into it somehow - so naturally, Brock suggested he "get a van, a skate sharpening machine, and just hang out at the rinks". While Doug didn't go for the career transition idea, the rink *was* the location where he chose to actively spend his time supporting his siblings, children and grandchildren as a coach, fan from the stands, and fixing up their sports equipment.

Blessed with the gift of gab, Doug is remembered as always being so talkative and engaging - whether at the hockey rinks, the golf course, out and about - it seemed that he always knew someone. There was even one time at the Calgary Zoo where much to Peggy, Eric, Brock and Kari's surprise - a very much younger Lanny McDonald was approaching the family and said, "Hey - Douggie!"

A Come and Go Celebration of Doug's Life will be held at CORNERSTONE FUNERAL HOME, 2825 - 32 Street South, Lethbridge, AB, on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance will be limited to 50 guests per 30 minute time slot. Kindly RSVP your attendance to Cornerstone at 403-381-7777 or care@cornerstonefh.ca