Douglas M. Gulley

Douglas M. Gulley, age 77 of Alto, Georgia, passed away Thursday, January 7, 2021, after a brief illness.

Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Jan Gulley of Alto; daughters and sons-in-law, Helen Savage of Alto, Jean and Tim Trotter of Macon, Kathy Gulley of Alto, and Ben Savage of Newnan; sisters and brother-in-law, Winnie Poole of Mt. Airy, Kathy Gragg of Cornelia, and Daisy and “Dub” Standridge of Cleveland; sister-in-law Carolyn Gulley of Alto; grandchildren, Jonah and Lindsey Savage of Clarkesville, Zane Savage and Lindsay Hile of Denver, Colorado, and Ella and Cara Trotter; mother-in-law Cara Dodd of Alto; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Jackie and Gloria Wade of Cornelia, Danny and Lela Wade of Alto, and Judy Turner of Alto; uncle and aunts Joe and Amy Payne of Alto, and Winnifred Grizzle of Florida; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Born in Habersham County on May 17, 1943, he was the son of the late Herschel and Lovella Payne Gulley. He grew up in lean times, and, along with his brother, traded school for work earlier than most to help support his family. He picked apples and cotton. He learned to use a hammer and saw, and to work under the hood of a car. No stranger to hard work, Doug retired from Schnadig Corporation in 2003 after 32 years of dedicated service.

Doug loved his family, and he loved his friends. He shared food from his garden, and was always ready to share a story and a good laugh. He learned from his daddy to root for Georgia Tech. He was strong and tender, humble and proud. He taught by example that character mattered, and that anything worth doing should be done right. He was a reader, a doer of Sudoku, and a lover of classic country music. He loved the outdoors and fishing in the river. He loved dogs: both the kind that slept on a porch and the kind that chased rabbits. In the last few years, he shared his recliner with his best buddy, Mr. Shue, a once sickly little orange kitten whose mother left him at Doug’s door. Even that mama cat knew he could be trusted with something precious. Doug lived life well. He will be greatly missed.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held at a later date when it is safe to do so.

A virtual register book is available at whitfieldfuneralhomes.com

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123