Remembering Our Friend, and a Friend to Parks and Play, Doug Youngblood

It was with heavy hearts we learned of Doug Youngblood’s passing just before Christmas, following his 5-year battle with cancer. He was a champion of parks and those who used them, especially children; he was a tireless community servant; he was the leader who envisioned the parks foundation we call Partners for Parks, serving ultimately as its Board Chairman; and mostly, he was our friend.

Brion Douglas “Doug” Youngblood was born in Valdosta, Georgia, but called the Charlotte area home since he was 7 years old. Those days of playing outdoors as a child must have made an impression on Doug, who would go on to lead a number of park and recreation efforts in our area. He built his home of 40 years off Youngblood Road – named for his grandfather whose farm was at the end of the road before the river was dammed to make Lake Wylie. What a childhood that must have been!

Doug started his education at Steele Creek Elementary School, then went on to Quail Hollow Junior High, Olympic High School, Valdosta State College, and UNC Chapel Hill, where he graduated with a degree in accounting. If you know Doug, you know he was a passionate Tar Heel fan! His love of the Tar Heels and all sports led him to become the man we’ve known the last two decades as a passionate advocate for our parks and for children’s rights.

In addition to the work we know at Partners for Parks, Doug served at Boys Town for 3 years and fostered several boys. He encouraged his church, Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, to partner with the YMCA for children’s after-school activities, and had hoped to see a playground built for them on the church campus. In just the last year, he found a home at the church gym for the Rollin’ Hornets wheelchair basketball teams, which had been left without a place to practice during COVID. Even in his final months with us, he never stopped working on behalf of kids.

“He viewed every one of the kids and adults in our program as his child,” says Mike Godsey, Founding Director and Coach of the Rollin’ Hornets. Godsey recalls how Doug would come to 80% of the Rollin’ Hornets’ practices because he enjoyed seeing how sports helped kids develop. Doug knew kids who used wheelchairs would become increasingly isolated if they didn’t have an active outlet with others their age.

Doug was always focused on children and the importance of PLAY. In 1991, Doug was elected by his peers to be the first Chairman of the newly-merged (city and county) Park & Recreation Commission, which was tasked with serving all citizens countywide.

Five years later, the Commission took a bold, new step to suggest the creation of a foundation to support public/private partnerships that could compete with other large, established municipal park systems. Thus, with the organizational leadership shown by Doug and two other former MCPRC Chairmen, Brad Davis and Joe Cogdell, Partners for Parks was born. The three men worked tirelessly to research and implement the best practices of other parks foundations and craft bylaws of the new 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Their hard work has been realized over the past 26 years through upgrades and improvements made to park and recreation facilities in Mecklenburg County and surrounding regional parks and public areas.

“He saw the benefit of that,” says Godsey. “It affects millions of people over the next generations, and Doug’s footprint is going to be on it.”

Doug remained on the Partners for Parks Foundation until his death, serving in many different leadership capacities. His 26 years of service included working with Brad Davis on the County’s original master plan for the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, a highlight of Mecklenburg County’s stellar and renowned system of parks, greenways, and recreation facilities.

One of the crowning achievements for Partners for Parks could not have happened without Doug’s leadership and teamwork. Working with Alvin Woods, a peer-associate of Partners for Parks Foundation, Doug was able to bring the 2016 US Paralympic Trials for Swimming, Track & Field, and Road Cycling to Charlotte ahead of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. It was the largest combined Paralympic Trials in history and the first time that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee held all of its team selections for these sports in one location. The Paralympic Trials gave great exposure for the abilities of people with a disability.

This incredible event was a shining example of Doug’s commitment to ALL athletes and the role sports play in lifelong development.

“I feel so honored to have known Doug through his connection to Abilities Unlimited and the fantastic work done by Partners for Parks in bringing the Paralympic Trials to Charlotte,” says Steve Goldberg, Managing Director of SCS Media and wheelchair basketball writer for FIBA Basketball, who has more than 25 years of paralympic media coverage experience. “I will always remember Doug’s love for the kids and his dogged enthusiasm for making the world a better place.”

Doug’s service to parks went even beyond Mecklenburg County. He served many years as a Trustee of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), including serving as Treasurer for several terms. He was also a founding member of the National Association of Park Foundations (NAPF), again serving as Treasurer. Additionally, at the national level, he served on the board of the National Foundation for Sustainable Parks, once again using his accounting skills as Treasurer.

In recent years Doug has been an extremely active member of Friends of North Carolina State Parks. He again rose in the ranks to Treasurer. Additionally, Doug remained committed to making local citizens aware of the vast opportunities for educational and volunteer involvement with North Carolina’s many different natural parks, their locations, and outdoor offerings.

Doug was very committed to PLAY and served for many years as part of the US Play Coalition. He was instrumental in establishing the first Regional PLAY Coalition – Partners for PLAY – as a sub-group of Partners for Parks in 2019.

“I am proud to be a friend and colleague of Doug Youngblood. He made such a difference for all of us in park and recreation – not only in NC but the nation,” declared longtime parks leader Fran Mainella in Doug’s memorial service eulogy. Fran was the 16th Director of the National Park Service and the first woman to serve in that role, and served with Doug on the NRPA Board for many years. She worked closely with Doug to establish Partners for Play as part of the U.S. Play Coalition. She recalls fondly how Doug’s last wish was to see Partners for Play get established and grow under the Partners for Parks umbrella.

“Doug will be remembered for all he wanted to do to help others and this memory will continue long after his death,” says Fran. “Doug made a difference for so many and will be missed by many.”

Doug’s mission in life was to advocate for parks and recreation, whether local, state, or national. His intention, as a citizen and civic leader, was always to bring the best practices possible to Mecklenburg County and its merged metropolitan Park & Recreation system.

Al Brown, Partners for Parks Treasurer, recalls how Doug was one of the “Founding Fathers” of Partners for Parks, serving as the original Treasurer, and also Vice President, President, and Chairman over his 26 years on the Board.

“Without a doubt, Doug has his fingerprints on parks and recreational areas in Charlotte and across the country,” Al fondly recalls, noting that once Doug knew of his financial background, he took Al under his wing in the organization. “He was my mentor in teaching me about parks and foundations, and taught me about working with friends and partners for building stronger parks through relationships.”

Doug is survived by his brother Quay Youngblood (Cathy), nieces Katie Youngblood, Courtney Youngblood, and Carmen Castanet Betts, and nephews Brennon Youngblood and Paul Castanet. He was preceded in death by his mother Martha Stoner Youngblood (d. 2008), his father William Lester Youngblood, Sr.(d. 2012), and his brother William Lester Youngblood, Jr. (d. 2021).

Friends celebrated Doug’s life at his home church, Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, on December 29, 2021. He is interred at Pleasant Hill Church Cemetery in Charlotte.

We have created “The Doug Youngblood Memorial Fund” that will be used to create a permanent dedication honoring Doug’s lifetime of service to parks and recreation in our region, our state, and our nation. Below is a link to our DONATE page on our Partners for Parks website.

Select “The Doug Youngblood Memorial Fund” to join this effort:

https://partnersforparks.org/donate/