Douglas Hatfield's Obituary
Douglas W. Hatfield (Doug) was born on May 22nd, 1939, in Baton Rouge, LA, and grew up in Houston and Midland Texas. He enjoyed and participated in numerous sports, most notably tennis, which he would continue to play for decades. He and his immediately family loved to sing, and he was a member of both school and church choirs. Doug excelled scholastically, attending Baylor University in Waco, Texas on a presidential scholarship, and he completed his undergraduate degree in three years. He continued to root for his beloved Baylor Bears, as well as the St. Louis Cardinals, for the rest of his life.
After graduation, Doug pursued a Ph.D. in History at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and he taught briefly at The University of Tennessee Knoxville and at his alma mater, Baylor University, before accepting a tenure-track position at Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) in Memphis, Tennessee. This was a position he would hold for the next forty-plus years, providing thousands of students insight on the rise and repercussions of Hitler and the Third Reich. The class he created continues at Rhodes as his legacy. While at Rhodes, he also served for several years as Chair of the History department and later as Director of Rhodes’ interdisciplinary humanities program.
Not long after moving to Memphis, Doug met his wife and partner in life, Marion Anita Ellis. They were introduced in October 1965, became engaged in April 1966, and married on August 20, 1966. Doug and Marion were married for 42 years, until Marion’s death in 2007. Fellow teachers and fellow followers of Christ, they were united in purpose and were both among the founding members of Trinity Baptist Church in Cordova, Tennessee.
A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and teacher, Doug was above all a good and faithful servant to his Lord. He used his gift of teaching in several Sunday School classes over the years, most notably the “Over-70” group at Trinity, who looked forward to his in-depth lessons each week, and he was a member of the choir until he was no longer able to read the music well. Doug was also an ordained deacon for many years, serving his God and church in numerous capacities.
In addition to his wife, Marion, Doug was preceded in death by his parents, O.W. and Margaret Hatfield, and his sister, Eloise Hatfield. He is survived by his daughter, Sylvia Nisar (Robert Nesbit), his granddaughter, Khadija Nisar (Ben Riggle), many former students and dear friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Trinity Baptist Church in Cordova or to the History Department at Rhodes College in Memphis.
Service for Doug will be held on Saturday March 8, 2025 at 2:00pm at Trinity Baptist Church; 8899 Trinity Rd. Cordova, Tennessee 38018
Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119 (901) 767-8930. “Where Memphis comes to remember, since 1924.”
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