Uncle Doug started sailing on the North Atlantic convoys during WW2 aged just 17. 
The Battle of the Atlantic which supported the Allied War effort endured the loss of a reported 3,500 Merchant Navy ships. 
One night in a typically rough storm he fell into a hold and landed on his back on some steel-work. He said he owed his live to the crew-mates who recovered him in the cold, wet darkness.

Doug was such a nice guy!! I met Doug because I used to help his brother,  Norman, after he got Parkinson's disease.. I remember meeting their brother Reg and his wife when they came to visit and we all went to a dance!!It was a fun night! I even corresponded by mail with Daphne!I was lucky enough  to meet Laurence and his wife when they came to visit Houston-  Doug, Norman and I met them for lunch-another fun day!!   Doug was such a kind and generous soul! He had a fun personality and he loved to laugh!! I loved hearing all of his very cool stories!!I really wish that I could have spent more time with him because I always felt happier after I had been with him!I spent so much time with Norman and Doug over the years and they were some of my most memorable!Doug and Norman definity added so much to my life!I am grateful that God sent them into my life!I understand that Doug final resting place is Memorial Oaks Cemetary. My mom and dad are there also, and I will definitely visit him whenever I go visit them and other friends there!RIP Doug!       

He lead a full and adventurous life before late dementia caused him to move to an assisted living residence in Houston, near the Astrodome and his home neighbourhood, but always valued his early years in the Thames Valley, his education at EP Collier School in Reading and the life skills and values he gained at the YMCA. 
He is much loved and sadly missed by all his family in England, and the many friends he made throughout his life.
                                                      
                                                                RIP

Laurence Walker, on behalf of the Vaughan and Walker families in England

After the War he served in Reading Borough Police Force, but after a short time he sailed to Galveston Texas and settled in Houston, working for Gestetner, and then eventually building up his own printing and copying company, employing many local people.
When the Korean war started he was drafted by Uncle Sam into the 87th Airborne Regiment Paratroopers and served two years in Korea, achieving the rank of Sergeant.
He liked to fish from his boat at Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico, and play golf at the Country Club. With NASA based in Houston he met with astronaut Alan Shepherd - the first American in space and later Captain of the Apollo 14 Mission, who walked on the Moon in January 1971, the third of the missions to land on the moon, and partnered him in golf tournaments. They were both special men to many. Contd…..

Douglas Vaughan - A Much Loved Uncle and Friend
A tribute to Douglas Vaughan with photos and his Navy Helmet
is on display in Oxford, England. He enjoyed coming to visit England many times, whilst living in Texas for most of his adult life, and becoming a US Citizen along the way.
The Helmet is scratched but still in wearable condition.
The letters MN stand for Merchant Navy.
During World War Two Douglas Vaughan served in the Merchant Navy and sailed in Atlantic Convoys wearing this helmet.
On one crossing the ship in front and then the ship behind his were torpedoed. He decided this was a bit close for comfort, so then managed to take the long travel routes to the Far East, South Africa, India and the Pacific, for the rest of the War. Contd......

.......a chilly 26th February 2011. 
The Vaughan Family gathered for lunch, "Dougnosh", at The Green Man, Hurst, Berkshire. 
Doug was no longer making the trip across the ocean but somehow he managed to sneak in at the back - cheeky!  How he loved a "get-together" !

Supper at the OXO Tower Brasserie with Dearest, departed, Pam xxx

.....at the OXO Tower Brasserie, London, 12th July 2007 in the evening. 
Doug was staying in London and his mobility was not great so for two or three days I got hold of a wheelchair and would pick him up at his hotel and take him round London. We had a wonderful time visiting The War Rooms, St Pauls Cathedral, The South Bank etc. 
We ate fish and chips with a pint of decent beer, and sometimes just sat in a small, quiet tree-filled square and talked. 

As they were known by the younger generation. Their visits were always large family occasions full of happiness and good cheer. Visiting them in Texas was a real treat, I will always remember their kindness and generosity. God bless xxx

OBITUARY

Douglas George Vaughan

23 May, 1925 – 27 December, 2022

Heights Funeral Home

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