Doug Paul

Doug Paul

Iowa City

Doug Paul died on Saturday, April 26th and with his passing, it seems, the light has gone out of our lives. Doug was a caring, outrageous, hilarious, inventive, visionary, playful and unbelievably messy man. Throughout his life, he befriended people in all walks of life. He had the ability to imagine the impossible and make it happen.

Born on November 12, 1952 in Alpha, Iowa and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Doug was the sixth in a family of nine children. He graduated from Tremper High School and received his B.S from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He had hoped to find a job teaching kindergarten, but school districts were not eager to hire a man for the position. So, Doug went off to find his place in the world. He spent time managing a ski hill in Northern Wisconsin, helped with the potato harvest in Waushara County and drove a semi, hauling beer across the country. He went to California on a spiritual quest and discovered the teachings of Yogananda, whose wisdom and guidance he followed for the rest of his life.

In 1976, Doug heard about an opening to write educational materials at Westinghouse Learning Corporation in Iowa City. It was there he met the project manager, Linda Duerlinger, who would become his wife. The two were married in 1979 and Doug settled into domestic bliss with Linda and her two young daughters, Beth and Julie. He had begun graduate work at the University of Iowa and earned the PhD in 1980. He started Douglas Paul & Associates an educational consulting firm which evolved into Profiles Corporation, Zaps Learning Corporation and Buckle Down Publishing Company, entities specializing in producing curricular and testing materials.

Doug sold the businesses in 2006 and embarked on what became the major project of his life - the Harvest Preserve. He purchased land on the edge of Iowa City with an eye toward preserving it as a spiritual sanctuary in perpetuity. A place to enjoy the beauty of Iowa, Harvest Preserve is the site of several sculptures including a stone circle of monoliths from Indonesia. In 2014, Doug created “Man on a Bench,” a 40-ton sculpture (commonly referred to as “The Buddha.”) which can be seen as you are driving on Scott Boulevard. In 2023, Doug’s book Go Figure was published. It is a compilation of stories from his life, some of them sad, most very funny and a few absolutely zany.

Left to mourn him are his wife, Linda; stepdaughters Elizabeth (George) Verhage and Juliet (Brian) Decker; grandchildren Cameron and Julien Cook and Jason Decker; scores of siblings, nieces and nephews and hundreds of friends.

In lieu of flowers, Doug would want contributions made to Harvest Preserve.

A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held at Harvest Preserve on June 15, 2025 from 2:00 – 4:30 PM with a service beginning at 3:00 PM. Following the service, a light supper will be served at the Hancher Café.

Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.lensingfuneral.com.