It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas Lee Meares Jr., age 78, of Hillsville, VA, formerly of Raleigh, NC - a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Born in Wilmington, NC, Douglas grew up with an affinity for the coast. The eldest of three brothers, he appreciated family and continued to maintain relationships with his brothers long after everyone moved away. He was bright and creative and had an engineer's mind, which led him to receive a patent for communication technology. He had a knack for science, giving his daughters an edge in their science fair projects, along with landing an award from NASA and the state of North Carolina for his very own school science project.

He served in the Navy, where he learned to scuba dive in Cuba, before marrying Brenda and having children. He started his own telecommunications companies, Telemessaging Devices Inc. and Blackhawk Terminals before becoming a field service engineer at Troxler Electronic Laboratories, allowing him to see the world. Although he traveled for work, he most enjoyed spending time with daughters, Summer Lee and Candace Ruth; attending their cheerleading competitions, taking spontaneous family trips to the beach, and going to see Star Wars and action hero movies. In his down time, you would find him reading his favorite fiction novels, where he was inspired to write his own. A laidback, carefree, fun dad and grandfather, he loved cruising in his Firebird to the tunes of classic rock and reggae. Upon retirement in 2018, sadly he was diagnosed with cognitive impairment, which was later diagnosed as Alzheimer's. Over the last few years, he was able to be cared for at home by his favorite person and loving wife of almost 50 years. Ultimately, the disease took its toll on his body until he succumbed on May 15, 2024.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Douglas Meares Sr. and Dorothy Meares, and his brothers Robert Meares and Thomas Meares. He is survived by his wife Brenda Goad Meares; daughters, Summer Provancha (John) and Candace Meares (James); grandchildren, Hudson and Luke Provancha and Wyatt Smith; sisters-in-law, Crystal Goad and Rita Biggs (Don); nephews, Aric Meares, Clint (Kristyn) and Matt Biggs; nieces, Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley (Michael) and Mary Plant; and great niece, Molly Plant.

Please join us to celebrate the life of Douglas at Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel in Hillsville, VA. The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 1:00 pm with Pastors Sandy Hendrick and Don Biggs officiating. Burial will be in the C.C. Webb Cemetery. Military rites will be conducted by the Hillsville V.F.W. Grover King Post 1115. A guestbook is available on the Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady website. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org.