Obituary for Douglas B. Feist
Douglas Bernard Feist, age 65, passed away on March 14, 2022 in his home. On January 25, 1957, Doug was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Robert and Helen Feist (nee Geiser).
Douglas is survived by his son Douglas R Feist and his 6 siblings, Paula (Don) Tober, Jackie (Dave) Bechtol, Barry (Sandy) Feist, Mark (Holly) Feist, Larry (Kathe) Feist, and Steve Feist. He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Helen Feist. Doug had 12 nieces and nephews who loved him very much. They are Harry Dastillung & Cody Bechtol, Angela, Matthew, Emily & Claire Feist, Alex & Brian Feist, Sam & Yulia Feist, Ashley & Andrew Feist. Doug also had 5 great nieces and nephews. They are Jack, Carmen, Hendrix, Louis, and Violet.
To say that Doug loved nature would be an understatement. Doug was enamored with the natural world since early childhood. By 14 he was called “The Birdman of Cincinnati” by the local papers, training and raising hawks and owls, and volunteering for the zoo. He followed his passion and began working for the Cincinnati Zoo in his early 20s. Through his nearly 4 decade career at the zoo, he worked as a zoo keeper, bird trainer, falconer, educator, Manager of the Children’s Zoo, and volunteer leader. He then began working as a volunteer himself after his retirement in 2020. He took that passion around the world, serving as an ecological tour guide for the zoo to Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
Doug was a passionate educator who loved to teach students as a lecturer all through the tristate area, taking animals far and wide to show people the wonder of nature. In addition to his career at the zoo, he took his love of teaching to higher learning, where he taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati for 20 years, often working at the zoo in the day and teaching in the evenings.
In his personal life, Doug lived to be in his gardens where hundreds of plants would thrive under his care. Each summer, everyone around him would be beneficiaries of extra seedlings, summer harvests and all the tomatoes you could eat. He was also an avid birder who loved going out with friends and family all over the country to find another mark for his life list. He was known for regularly pointing to a little black speck in the sky and calling out “Look that’s a (such and such)!”. He loved woodworking and built/restored several beautiful pieces of furniture and even spent a year crafting his own boat from scratch.
He will be known by his family as a generous and fun-loving Christmas host, uncle, father, brother, and friend. But just as importantly, he will be remembered by the thousands who loved him as a birding companion, teacher, and guide to all the natural world.
He also would want me to advise you it's going to be warbler season soon, and you need to start brushing up on your plumage now!
Family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 22, from 5 pm until time of funeral services at 7 pm at the Neidhard-Minges Funeral Home, 3155 Harrison Ave. (Westwood).
You may make memorial donations to the Cincinnati Zoo, 3400 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 or the Cincinnati Nature Center, 4949 Tealtown Rd. Milford, Ohio 45150 in honor of Doug’s life.
Attachments area
Douglas is survived by his son Douglas R Feist and his 6 siblings, Paula (Don) Tober, Jackie (Dave) Bechtol, Barry (Sandy) Feist, Mark (Holly) Feist, Larry (Kathe) Feist, and Steve Feist. He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Helen Feist. Doug had 12 nieces and nephews who loved him very much. They are Harry Dastillung & Cody Bechtol, Angela, Matthew, Emily & Claire Feist, Alex & Brian Feist, Sam & Yulia Feist, Ashley & Andrew Feist. Doug also had 5 great nieces and nephews. They are Jack, Carmen, Hendrix, Louis, and Violet.
To say that Doug loved nature would be an understatement. Doug was enamored with the natural world since early childhood. By 14 he was called “The Birdman of Cincinnati” by the local papers, training and raising hawks and owls, and volunteering for the zoo. He followed his passion and began working for the Cincinnati Zoo in his early 20s. Through his nearly 4 decade career at the zoo, he worked as a zoo keeper, bird trainer, falconer, educator, Manager of the Children’s Zoo, and volunteer leader. He then began working as a volunteer himself after his retirement in 2020. He took that passion around the world, serving as an ecological tour guide for the zoo to Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
Doug was a passionate educator who loved to teach students as a lecturer all through the tristate area, taking animals far and wide to show people the wonder of nature. In addition to his career at the zoo, he took his love of teaching to higher learning, where he taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati for 20 years, often working at the zoo in the day and teaching in the evenings.
In his personal life, Doug lived to be in his gardens where hundreds of plants would thrive under his care. Each summer, everyone around him would be beneficiaries of extra seedlings, summer harvests and all the tomatoes you could eat. He was also an avid birder who loved going out with friends and family all over the country to find another mark for his life list. He was known for regularly pointing to a little black speck in the sky and calling out “Look that’s a (such and such)!”. He loved woodworking and built/restored several beautiful pieces of furniture and even spent a year crafting his own boat from scratch.
He will be known by his family as a generous and fun-loving Christmas host, uncle, father, brother, and friend. But just as importantly, he will be remembered by the thousands who loved him as a birding companion, teacher, and guide to all the natural world.
He also would want me to advise you it's going to be warbler season soon, and you need to start brushing up on your plumage now!
Family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 22, from 5 pm until time of funeral services at 7 pm at the Neidhard-Minges Funeral Home, 3155 Harrison Ave. (Westwood).
You may make memorial donations to the Cincinnati Zoo, 3400 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 or the Cincinnati Nature Center, 4949 Tealtown Rd. Milford, Ohio 45150 in honor of Doug’s life.
Attachments area