Douglas Leon Haller

Douglas Leon Haller, of Williamsburg, Virginia passed away on November 3. Doug was born in Montour Falls, New York on March 13, 1931 to Leon and Lucile Haller and for 89 years led a life defined by service, duty, and family. Doug entered the Army in 1954, rising to the rank of Colonel before retiring as District Engineer of the Norfolk Engineering District in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1981. His Army career included various staff and command assignments, including two overseas tours in Vietnam, one in Korea and one in Italy. Doug was also a project/flight test pilot at the Aviation Test Board, was the Engineer Battalion Commander at Fort Bragg, NC and served as Director of Facilities Engineers at Fort Monroe, VA and Director of Public Works at Fort Eustis, VA. Doug’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal, among others. Doug’s family moved to Claymont, Delaware where he excelled in football and lacrosse in high school. As a Boy Scout, Doug made Eagle Scout, adding the Silver Beaver and Golden Eagle awards as an adult. A lifelong learner and always eager to grow, Doug graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1953. Doug also earned a Master of Industrial Engineering degree from New York University in 1961 and graduated from programs at the Army Command & General Staff College in 1965 and the U.S. Army War College in 1973. Following the Army, Doug entered civilian life, joining Buchart-Horn, an International Engineering and Architectural Firm. While at Buchart-Horn, Doug opened offices in Germany and Turkey. One of the great joys of his life was bringing his wife, Maxine, with him on business trips to Europe. Doug retired from Buchart-Horn as a Senior Vice President in 1999. Doug was never one to sit still when there was a job to be done, and it needed to be done right. In retirement he served on the Kingsmill Community Board, focusing on Buildings and Grounds. A born leader, he also served as a Council Executive Board Member and president of the Colonial Virginia Council for Boy Scouts of America, a commodore of the Kingsmill Yacht Club, a member of the Kiwanis Club, a club and area president of Toastmaster International, and an honorary lifetime member of the Hampton Roads Maritime Association. In 1956 Doug married the love of his life for 64 years, Maxine Carr, a charming, beautiful, smart-as-a-whip secretary he met in Baltimore. In later life, when children or grandchildren called Doug and asked what he was up to, the frequent reply was, “I’m just sitting here with my beautiful bride.” In retirement, Doug and Maxine caught the cruise bug and went on more than thirty overseas cruises all over the world. Doug loved spending time with his family, including racing sailboats on weekends with his children, in their youth, organizing extended family reunions in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York and bringing family on cruises. Although we miss him dearly, his legacy lives on in his family and his community. Doug is survived by his loving bride Maxine, his children Kimberly Baum, (and her husband Robert) and Christian Haller (and his wife Sarah); and his grandchildren, Sarah Miller (and her husband Kevin), Aron Baum, Emma Baum, and Hannah Baum. Doug is preceded in death by his sister, Phyllis Ann Haller; and his son, Captain Brian Douglas Haller. A visitation will be Sunday, November 8, 2020 from 10am-12pm at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg, VA. Services will be held in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Online condolences for the family may be shared at www.nelsenwilliamsburg.com.