March 22, 2022

Douglas Joseph Holbrook, 68, of Griffin, Georgia and summer resident of Clayton, New York, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2022. Doug was born in Schenectady, NY on October 2, 1953 to John Joseph "Jack" and Dorothy Jane (Hiitter) Cleary.

Doug moved to North Syracuse after his mother's remarriage to Raymond C. Holbrook. He graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School where he played soccer and excelled at music, winning numerous individual awards and state marching band titles. This love and talent for music continued throughout college and his life. After completion of his undergraduate degree at SUNY Fredonia in 1975, Doug earned a Masters of Regional Planning from the Maxwell School of Business at Syracuse University in 1977.

Doug's career started with a move to sunny Sarasota, FL, and shortly after he met Anne L. Reinman on an Eastern Airlines Flight. Doug and Anne married in 1981 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Clayton, New York starting more than 40 years of a happy marriage, living in Macon, Sandy Springs and eventually Griffin, Georgia, while summering in Clayton. Doug was an exceptional father to their two sons, Brad and Ross.

Helping others find and access healthcare was always very near to his heart. Doug enjoyed a long and fulfilling career in business development, strategic planning, and hospital administration for many healthcare organizations including Southwest Florida Health Planning Council, Egleston Children's Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Spalding Regional Hospital. He identified and led acquisitions of numerous health care services including doctors' practices and specialty treatments such as the Gamma Knife and da Vinci robotic surgery system at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta. Doug also negotiated many managed care and insurance contracts ensuring the highest level of care for patients. Doug was most proud of his work as a strategic planner and developer where his regulatory and community relations skills shined. At Charter Medical, he identified and built numerous psychiatric and addictive disease healthcare facilities throughout the country.

Doug returned to the sport of fencing in adulthood and was consistently one of the highest ranked fencers in his age group, winning many tournaments throughout the southeast including the Georgia Games. He especially enjoyed the bond with his Fayette Fencing Academy teammates and their maestro, Wolfgang Finck.

Time spent on the St. Lawrence River was very precious to Doug, especially in his later years where he embraced summers with his family at their cottage on the shore of the St. Lawrence near May Irwin Point in Clayton. He loved fishing with his sons, bird watching, sunsets, and the work and reward gained from maintaining the house and property. Doug was also quietly yet heavily involved with numerous environmental and land planning groups throughout the North Country, focusing on responsible land use and the protection of natural and cultural resources.

A man of the highest integrity, he was capable in so many areas.

Doug was especially thankful to the team of doctors, nurses, and support staff at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta during his last stays.

He is survived by his wife, Anne, of Griffin, GA and Clayton, NY, and his two sons, Bradley (Annapolis, MD) and Ross (Georgia), and his stepfather Ray Holbrook (North Syracuse, NY). An only child, Doug was proceeded in death by his beloved grandparents Joseph and Elizabeth (Scholl) Hiitter; his mother Dorothy Holbrook; and his father Jack Cleary.

A funeral mass will be offered at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Clayton, and a Celebration of Life will be held in Atlanta this spring. Both dates and times to be announced.

Local arrangements are entrusted with Cummings Funeral Service, Inc., Clayton, NY, and online condolences to his family may be posted at www.cummingsfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary's Church in Clayton, NY; Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA; Mercy Care in Atlanta, GA; and the Thousand Islands Land Trust in Clayton, NY.