Douglas Ray Moreau, 81, was born March 17, 1943, and passed away suddenly on Nov. 17, 2024, at his Bandera County residence.

Douglas was born in Waterloo, New York, and was the first of two sons born to Pauline “Polly” Lancaster Moreau and Robert “Bobby” Moreau. The family moved back to Texas and settled in Boerne, where Douglas would attend Boerne Grade School. He graduated from high school in the summer of 1963.

He enlisted into the United States Navy Oct. 28, 1963. He served on active duty with the Navy as an interior communications electrician and received an honorable discharge Sept. 5, 1965.

After his discharge, he worked with Mooney Aircraft of Kerrville and Swearingen Aircraft of San Antonio as a sheet metal mechanic.

In January 1967, Douglas began his long career which spanned 33 years with the Department of Defense at Camp Stanley in Leon Springs, Texas. He was a master parachute rigger, fabric worker and instructor, obtaining the Civilian Civil Service Rank of WG-11.

Douglas was responsible for the training, design, packing and rigging of large military parachutes for airdropping cargo from planes. He was the special projects officer for the invention and manufacturing of a new prototype system for aerial delivery and received numerous awards for formulating and perfecting these systems.

He was also assigned to the groundwater and wastewater treatment division of the Engineering Department and received licenses for Grade “D” as a ground water treatment plant operator and Class “D” as a wastewater treatment plant operator.

After Douglas retired from civil service, he worked for Tapatio Springs Service Company/Kendall County Utility Company of Boerne, Texas, responsible for ground water treatment and operating the wastewater treatment plant of Tapatio Springs.

Douglas was a proud Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus through St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bandera, Texas. Douglas had an everlasting love and deep respect for the outdoors where he would hunt, fish and manage his property.

He was a proud member of the NRA, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Texas Trophy Hunters Association. Many trips were made with family and friends to the Gulf Coast or Texas lakes to fish. Douglas would also harvest both Whitetail and Axis deer from this property.

In the footsteps of his father, Bobby, he carried on with the over 115-year-old tradition of making Moreau venison and pork sausage, using the same family recipe from centuries ago. He inherited and perfected this process utilizing new technology to speed up the process and slowly increasing the amount that was produced on the annual Sausage Day, processing up to 1,300-plus pounds.

He got creative and inventive with it in later years, utilizing the same recipe but forming it into links, “Slim Jims” salami and jerky. This detailed and laborious process was passed down from generations of Moreaus to his friends and family who were always on hand on the annual Sausage Day to assist and taste test.

Douglas also enjoyed bowling and was a lifetime member of the Boerne Turn Verein, a membership bowling club in Boerne — the place that he and Donna met for the first time in February 1998, which was followed by their first date, a double date with Bobby and Polly to a friend’s birthday celebration.

He bowled in tournaments throughout the country, amassing several awards in sanctioned bowling leagues and tournaments. His largerthan- life presence and fierce bowling skills will be missed by his teammates at Tuesday League Night.

Douglas had a zest for life and would not stay still. There was always work to be done and he enjoyed spending time with family and friends at his homestead, dubbed the “D and D Ranch” in Bandera.

He was instrumental in the design and build of his home, which he managed and built in 1976 along with family members and special friends. They did so without nail guns like today but with their hands, hammers, nails, blood, sweat and tears.

In later years, he and Donna built a shop which was known as the place everyone hung out.Many memories were made in the “Shop” as the processing of sausage was conducted, breakfast along with dinners were cooked, and several hours of drinking beer while playing dominoes at a special domino table.

All the while in the background, classic country western songs, the music he loved, was playing.

Douglas is preceded in death by his parents, Bobby and Polly Moreau; and one brother, Marvin Moreau.

He is survived by his wife of over 24 years, Donna Ray Bergmann Moreau, of Bandera; one son, Rodney Dale Moreau Storms of Spring, Texas; two daughters, Michelle Leigh (Moreau) Bybee of Round Rock, and Jennifer (Moreau) Ferris of San Antonio; three grandsons, Michael Anthony Moreau Storms, Dustin Lee Moreau Storms and Braden Hajek; and many great grandchildren, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Douglas Ray Moreau’s viewing will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, at Ebensberger Fisher Funeral Home, 1265 N. Main St. in Boerne. A short graveside service will be conducted by family and military that will follow the next day, December 3, 2024, at 11:15 a.m. at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road in San Antonio.

To leave condolences for the family and view a video of Douglas’ life, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher. com. Arrangements with Ebensberger Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.