Obituary: Rudolph, Douglas Alan
Doug was a beloved husband, father, grand-father, brother and a loving man who was passionate about God, family, hunting, guns, motorcycles and Toyota Land Cruisers.
During his glory days, he could be found riding one of his motorcycles, driving his ‘76 FJ-40 Land Cruiser, or deer and elk hunting in Central Washington.
Born in Witchita, Kansas to Glen and Margaret Rudolph, Doug was a very adventurous boy living in Kansas and having fun times while visiting the family farm in Scott City, Kansas.
He enjoyed shooting .22’s, playing in the barn and driving tractors.
At 16, after his father left his job at The Boeing Co. in Wichita, Kansas to become a Methodist Minister, the family moved out west and settled in Rockford, Washington where Doug attended Freeman High School.
He enjoyed a love of fast cars and could be seen speeding through the back roads and highways of the Palouse.
He also enjoyed being a member of a car club, The Vulcans.
Shortly after graduating from Freeman High School in 1965, Doug enlisted in the United States Navy to become a Sonar Technician aboard nuclear submarines.
He was assigned to the USS Grant and the USS Kamehameha out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
After his enlistment was up, he returned to Spokane just in time to welcome his new son, Michael.
Michael is named after Doug’s best friend from high school, Michael Murdock, who was tragically killed in Vietnam in February 1968.
His beautiful daughter Gretchen was born the following year.
Working various jobs at Old National Bank and Firestone, Doug enrolled in classes to earn a Criminal Justice degree from Eastern Washington University and was selected for the Washington State Patrol working in the Dishman field office.
Doug would work for the State Patrol until taking a transfer to the Washington Fisheries Patrol and moving to Ilwaco, Washington in February 1977.
Two years later the family moved to Auburn, Washington and he left the Fisheries Patrol shortly thereafter.
Doug moved to Ellensburg, Washington in 1980 to work for the Central Washington University Police Department.
It was while working here he met the love of his life, Kristy Chapin.
They were married April 25, 1981.
After working 13 years in law enforcement, Doug decided it was time for a change.
The family moved to Spokane, Washington where Doug started working as a car salesman at Appleway Toyota.
It was clear that Doug’s love of cars and people made a great fit for his new profession.
He quickly set out to become one of Appleway’s successful salesmen of the time earning many sales awards.
Doug continued with car sales until retiring in 1999.
Doug was also an accomplished musician playing the coronet.
He played in the Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene’s Orchestra for many years.
He loved to play and listen to beautiful music.
Doug was also passionate about politics.
It wouldn’t take long to be in a conversation with him until the topic of politics often came up.
He was a patriotic man, who was proud of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Doug will be dearly missed by his wife, Kristy Rudolph, of 32 years; his children, Michael Rudolph (Vancouver, WA) and Gretchen Ruff (Brad), San Diego, CA; seven grandchildren; his sisters Gylan Lane (Barbara), Hood River, OR, and Vonne Hamilton (Ken), Republic of Panama; and close friends Mike and Anita McDaniel.
Doug is preceded in death by his father Glen A. Rudolph, mother Margaret (Peggy) C. Rudolph and sister Sydney J. Ohlson.
A Memorial Service will be held Friday, April 12th 7:00pm at Change Point Fellowship, 14415 E. Sprague, Ste 2, Spokane, WA.
Later this year a gathering to remember Doug will be held at the Elk Camp near Ellensburg, WA