Douglas Carlson Speer Sr. was born May 8th, 1950, and died August 9th, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the youngest child of the late Margaret (Carlson) and Carl Byrd Speer Jr.

Doug went by many nicknames and held various titles throughout his life; Dougie, Dad, Pops, United States Marine, Big Doug, Dude Made Over, but the one he was most proud of, Papa D.

Doug enlisted in the Marine Corps and served honorably from 1971-1973, which he took immense pride in. He lived by the motto "Once a Marine, always a Marine," so it was only fitting that his favorite ballcap he wore daily had this slogan across the front.

Papa D was an overgrown kid himself when he was with his grandkids. Fishing trips to Sunset Lake were one of the things he enjoyed most, even if he spent the whole day baiting and tying hooks.  He also had an imagination that kept the kids in awe. From building forts from old cardboard boxes, cooking his famous "sausage on a stick," or getting a princess makeover complete with brightly painted, mismatched nails, there was nothing he wouldn't do for his grandbabies.

Like any good Arkansan, Doug was a lifelong, die-hard Razorback fan who loved the outdoors. Razorback game day, no matter the season, you would find him and his wife of 43 years, Sarah, glued to the television in the living room, cheering (and sometimes cursing) on the Hogs.

Doug had a clever, quick wit - he would randomly crack one-liners or sing a jingle parody that would leave you in stitches, or he could tell a story with such vigor that he would have you hanging on every word, eagerly waiting on the punchline.

Doug was a kind and gentle soul with a brilliantly creative imagination. He taught himself to play the harmonica quite well from sheer curiosity. His favorite tune to play for anyone who would listen was one he penned himself, "Deer Huntin' Blues."

Doug is survived by his wife, Sarah (Achor) Speer. Two children, Margaret Speer (Timothy Davis) and Douglas Carlson Speer Jr. (Lori); three grandchildren, Lyric Speer, Peyton Davis, and Brooklyn Davis; sister Janet Johnston (Joe) and brother Sam Speer (Phylis).

A memorial service will be held Tuesday August 15th 10:00am at Ashby Funeral Home in Benton.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Veterans Foundation. https://nvf.org/veterans-donations/