Doug is survived by his sons, Michael Todd (Jenni) of Newport Beach, CA, Steve Todd (Melissa) of Tempe, and daughters, Christy Kerr (Jerry) of Buckeye, and Shelley Todd of Tempe; his fifteen grandchildren; his twenty four great-grandchildren, and his brother, Marvin Todd (Betsy) of Phoenix. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Mary Anne (Monie), and by his son, Bradley (Sandi).
Doug was born in Prescott, AZ to Joel and May Ruth Todd in 1929. His mother’s family had homesteaded in the Granite Dells near Prescott in the 1870’s and he treasured that scenic part of Arizona where he was raised. After graduating from Prescott High School, he attended what was then Arizona State College. There he met Mary Anne Corbell, daughter of Victor and Anna Corbell, of Tempe. When he married Monie in 1949, he decided to learn and become a farmer; eventually graduating as a member of the first class of the School of Agriculture in 1951. In partnership with his father-in-law, they grew cotton, alfalfa and barley on the family farm south of Baseline in Tempe. He and Monie raised their five children on the farm; imbuing them with independence and a drive to work hard and use the gifts they possessed.
When the farmland was sold in the early 1970’s, Doug took on new challenges including oversight of the design and construction of the Lakeshore Bible Church of God (on the former farmstead) and the reestablishment of the dormant Maricopa County Fair. His success with the fair lead him to be elected to represent District 27 (Tempe) to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1978, and he later served three terms as State Senator for the same district. In the Arizona State Legislature, where he served for 14 years, he found himself on the appropriation subcommittees that oversaw the funding of the state universities. He strove to achieve fair and equitable solutions for funding parity. These efforts sparked the next level of growth for Arizona universities, especially for ASU, and Doug was named ASU Alumnus of the Year in 1995. He also sponsored the legislation that funded future freeways 101 and 202.
Doug was elected as Maricopa County Treasurer in 1992 and served twelve years. The beginning of his tenure was marked by a severe fiscal crisis for the County, which he skillfully managed, leading Maricopa County to financial health and higher bond ratings.
In addition to his respected political career, Doug was an accomplished tenor, singing in glee club in college and church choirs. He was mentor and counselor to numerous Republican candidates. He restored his grandfather’s 1917 Model T Ford, later donating it to the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott. He and his late wife, Monie, were life-long members of Lakeshore Bible Church of God. He was also a proud member of Delta Chi fraternity, Tempe Diablos, and the wonderful group of Prescott High graduates of 1944-1950 affectionately known as the “Prescott Mafia”, with whom he had life-long friendships.
This past Thanksgiving he presided over a grand gathering of his entire family, reminding all of them of the blessings of his life. Doug will be remembered as a loving father, a patriarch of a pioneer Arizona family, and a leading figure in the community.
His funeral is scheduled for 9:30 AM on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at Dayspring United Methodist Church, 1365 E. Elliot Road, Tempe, AZ 85284. As was Doug’s custom, attendees are encouraged to wear a bola tie to the service to honor his memory. Interment will be private. Flowers may be sent to the Church. The family suggests memorial contributions may be sent to Hospice of the Valley, at www.HOV.org.
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