Harry Guilford Doten, Jr., 78, of Tucson, AZ, passed away Thursday, March 9, 2017.
He was born June 1, 1938 in Claremont, NH, to Harry Guilford and Nellie Riemer (Lynch) Doten. Harry graduated from Steven’s High School in Claremont in 1956. He graduated from Brown University in 1960 with a B.A. in political science and history. He was stationed during the cold war at Herzogenaurach, West Germany, as a German language interpreter in the U.S. Army Security Agency 1961-64. After military service, Harry lived every young man’s dream for five years in the Great Bear Rainforest on the coast of British Columbia, tracking sockeye salmon runs and guarding these runs from overexploitation, aboard a 40-foot boat alone being chased by big orcas. He then taught school to his benefactor’s sons during the winter seasons. This man, Lucky Torolf Bachen, became his friend for life. On his return to the United States, he married Cynthia Sidwell. They settled in Tucson. Harry earned an M.Ed. degree in the Teaching of Reading at the University of Arizona in 1982 and certification in Educational Administration from Plymouth State College (NH) in 1984. In his career he worked, often with his wife, Cyn, in the Tohono O’odham schools, 1970-74, the Owikeno Indians on the coast of British Columbia, 1967-70, the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, 1990-93, and the San Carlos Apache Indians in the Arizona White Mountains, 1997-2004. As the years flew by, the small Doten family enjoyed the intellectual stimulus of these American and Canadian cultures. During the summers, they would camp among the Ponderosas or Redwoods of the Oregon and California beaches.
In his retirement, Harry enjoyed kayaking with his sons wherever they could find a body of water, and fulfilled his life-long dream of pursuing landscape photography in the national parks of the west. He also gloried in the music of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He would want to thank Rich Hillman for teaching him how to sail aboard, Island Time, in San Diego.
He is survived by his loving family, including, Cynthia, his wife of 50 years, children, Sol Douglas (Robyn Raab), Maya Michelle, and Joshua Levi; four grandchildren Ashley, Julian, Dylan and Katelyn; and two nieces, Karen Goodrich and Kathryn Hanson.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Tucson Humane Society in honor of Jake, a Brittany, and Sam, a beagle, Harry’s close animal companions.
No services will be held. Harry’s cremains will be interred at West Claremont Burying Ground (NH) where he joins his parents and sister, Joanne Goodrich, in spirit and perpetuity.
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