Joseph D. Doolittle

Joseph Doolittle, who found true joy in life, died Saturday at 1:15 a.m. after a short illness, though his health had been failing. The musician, teacher, traveler and family man had been a Freeport resident for almost 50 years. Joe was a kind and generous person who loved people. A popular teacher, he often heard from former students about the positive impact he had made on their lives. As a lifelong learner, he was fascinated with other cultures, learning to speak key phrases in many different languages and entertaining international visitors in his home. Joseph Doering Emerson Doolittle, 88, was born July 19,1929, in Dubuque, IA, to Sally Frayser and Dwight Emerson Doolittle. The Doering name was from his maternal grandmother and Emerson, from his father's middle name. In two months, Joe's family moved to Fairmont, MN, where his father worked for Fairmont Railway Motors, maker of maintenance-of-way "put-put" cars, soon taking over the Western region, requiring a move to Denver, CO. At nine years old, Joe joined the Highlander Boys, a local scouting-style group, providing camping, hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, learning to play an instrument and performing in a band. He chose to play the euphonium, a horn that was bigger than he was at the time. He was active in bands through his years at South High School, from which he was graduated in 1947. When the family moved back to Fairmont, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where, at his father's request, he majored in chemistry for two years. "But I couldn't stay out of the band room," he often recalled, so he switched to music. His primary instrument continued to be the euphonium, which he also played with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra for special performances. He earned his B.A. degree in music and history from the University, along with a 2nd Lt. rank in the Army ROTC. Summers, he worked at the Fairmont Canning Factory along with his best friend, the late Youree Lejonvarn of Cannon Falls, MN. To accommodate them at Joe's Fairmont home, one took the night shift, the other, the day, "keeping the bed warm." Other summers he helped rebuild Tunnel No.10 on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad through the Rockies. He loved railroads and rode the California and Denver Zephyrs, now Amtrak, across the country many times. After graduation, he taught in the small Minnesota towns of Askov, Hills and Magnolia, the latter where he taught band, history, chorus, driver's training and drove the school bus to out-of-town games. He was called into basic training at Ft. Bliss, TX, then served 18 months as an officer in the Gary Defense at Half Day near Mundelein. After the army he started a band assistantship at State College of Iowa in Cedar Falls, earning his M.A. in music education. Simultaneously, he became high school marching band director and instrumental music teacher in Burlington, IA. He loved planning half-time shows for football games, using his creativity to work out the intricacies of marching formations. When he took an article to the local newspaper, he met, then married the reporter-editor Molly Scholes, June 15, 1963, in Freeport, and continued living in Burlington, where their sons, David Emerson and John Roberts were born. His family joined him for three summers at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he took much of the course work, including Russian and French proficiencies, toward a PhD. degree in music. Weekends, the family hiked in the mountains. In 1968, he moved to Freeport to become the Freeport High School band director and instrumental music teacher. He elevated the band with a wide variety of new and challenging music and he made the band relevant to students by introducing contemporary jazz and rock. One of the highlights of his career was participating in an Olympic band competition in Munich, Germany in 1972. With the slogan, "Help Us Eat Our Way to Germany," he created the first Freeport high school band fruit sale, among other fund-raisers, to pay for the trip. He also directed the Freeport volunteer German band of adults, and often their school-aged children, playing a variety of band music for local festivals and events and played the tuba in Best in Brass Quintet. Summers, he raised vegetables in a large garden. He was an inveterate reader, with interests from mythology to sports. Anything in print caught his eye. He and Molly loved ballroom dancing, at one time belonging to two Rockford dance clubs. In July, 1989, with the aid of Joan Bald, then teaching German at FHS, he arranged for Freeport home stays for a private band from Germany, under the direction of Wolfgang Eilmes, who had been a guide for his FHS German trip. At a block party on the 1300-1400 block of Stover St., Joe's band and the band from Germany played concerts for more than 250 local listeners. He finished his career teaching ninth grade history, American, Ancient and World History, and the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions. He always loved teaching and, especially in the early years, he couldn't sleep the night before the fall term, eager to see who his new students would be. He gave free music lessons to children in need and taught Boy Scouts working toward merit badges. Joe was proud when his son John was inspired to become a high school teacher. In later years, the Doolittles always loved traveling, beginning with their honeymoon, when they camped in Wyoming's Grand Tetons. The summer before their first child was born, they traveled throughout Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Finland, where they stayed with Joe's longtime pen pal. Molly covered the trip with photos and articles sent back to the Burlington newspaper. Part of the trip was with Molly's parents, including the ocean liner trip over and back. They made several later trips to Germany, staying with relatives of Burlington friends. Spring breaks often were spent in Florida; in August, they traveled West. In retirement, Joe and Molly took several hiking trips to England, visited Zimbabwe, Turkey and Mexico, stayed with friends in Germany and took several biking-hiking trips in Glenwood Springs, CO, arriving by Amtrak, twice with their grown sons and families. During the winter, they cross-country skied in the Colorado mountains. For 16 years, they spent two weeks in Vermont and/or Canada, cross-country skiing. There were frequent trips to Atlanta to see the growing grandchildren, Taylor and Emerson. For a few years, Joe, who had lettered in swimming in high school, was the underwater monster in their backyard pool, coming after the "sheep" in games of tag. But the tables turned as the grandchildren became strong swimmers. There also were family walks along the Chatahoochee river, bike rides, swim meets and recitals to cheer for and, in Freeport, many rides on Krape Park's merry-go-round and paddle boats and stops at the Union Dairy. Joe loved working with wood, designing and building a trellis, fences and a pergola; in that case, creating rounded pieces with his wife's wooden cookie tray as a pattern. With some help, he built a screened porch. When a pin oak tree was struck by lightning in the back yard, he designed a pond where the stump had been and a stream, where the tree had been felled. He later added a model railroad line around the perimeter. He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder. He and his wife sang in the church choir for more than 40 years. He was a member and past president of Golden K Kiwanis and a member of Amvets, Stateline Music Foundation and Northwest Illinois Audubon Society. He also directed some Freeport Summer Park Band concerts in Krape Park. Survivors include his wife, Molly, Freeport; sons, David (Ashley), Atlanta, GA and John (Andrew Ouk), Sacramento, CA; grandchildren, Taylor, Chicago and Emerson, Atlanta; and sister, Sally Hines, Rochester, MN; niece, the Rev. Sherri (James) Sandoz, Monticello, MN and nephews, Dan Hines, Bemidji, MN and John (Lorrie) Hines of West St. Paul, MN. Preceding him in death were his parents and his nephew, James Hines. One of the Doolittles' closest bonds was through music, especially band and classical. Joe's vast knowledge and coaching was a pleasure to both as they played and performed together in the community. Joe was a popular teacher and he often heard from former students about the positive impact he made on their lives. Visitation will be at Burke Tubbs Funeral home from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, and the memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 at United Presbyterian Church, followed by a luncheon. His body has been donated to the Anatomical Gift Assn. in Chicago. Memorial donations may be made in Joe's name to the Freeport Community School Fund, online at fcpsf.org, or by mail at PO Box 778, Freeport, IL 61032, to help local students in financial need obtain musical instruments.