Douglas Pierre Lockard
January 29, 1968 – July 28, 2026
Written by Mom, Elizabeth Anstadt Downey
Douglas Downey, 58, passed away peacefully yesterday after a long and courageous battle with leukemia.
I adopted Doug when he was six years old. After learning I could not have more biological children, I still hoped for a large family and did not want my daughter, Heather, to grow up as an only child. I had always dreamed of raising six children. The adoption agency knew I had no preference regarding a child’s sex or ethnicity. Doug, an Ojibwe Native American from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, came into my life and forever changed it.
Doug’s early childhood was marked by profound trauma. He had first been adopted by another family who later rejected him. He remembered the heartbreaking day his adoptive mother left him on the porch with a bag of his belongings to wait for Children and Youth Services. Despite such a difficult beginning, he possessed remarkable resilience.
When I flew to Winnipeg to meet him, I saw a quiet little boy playing alone in the corner of the foster home’s living room. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. He was a sweet child who loved sports and quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional ice hockey player while also enjoying baseball.
As Doug entered adolescence, it became clear that he was struggling with mental illness. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, a condition he faced with courage throughout his life. After graduating from Red Rock High School in Lopez, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany.
Over the years, I remained in contact with Doug’s biological family and knew that his mother and siblings had settled in the large Native American community in Minneapolis. Doug reconnected with them and later moved there. While living in Minneapolis, he worked at a bank, met Jennifer, and together they welcomed a son, Jordan. When Jordan’s parents were no longer able to care for him, my husband, Bernie, and I were honored to adopt him, keeping him within our family.
Doug eventually returned to Lycoming County. In his early thirties, he was diagnosed with leukemia, beginning a decades-long struggle with the disease. Throughout the years, he endured countless hospitalizations and serious medical crises, including two life flights for emergency care. The illness gradually took his hearing in both ears and, more recently, one of his eyes. Yet through it all, he continued to face each challenge with determination.
Doug had many gifts beyond his resilience. He was a gourmet chef who loved cooking and baking, and he found great pleasure in reading. He shared an especially close bond with Bernie, whom he proudly called Dad. One of Doug’s greatest heartbreaks was being too ill to attend Bernie’s funeral. Every time we were together after Bernie’s passing, he spoke of how deeply he missed him.
This week, Doug’s organs began to fail, and he passed away peacefully with those who loved him most by his side. I am deeply grateful that I was able to be with him during his final hours, along with his beloved son, Jordan, and the compassionate hospital and hospice staff whose kindness brought comfort to us all.
Thank you for your prayers, love, and support during this difficult time.
Doug is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Anstadt Downey of Muncy; his son, Jordan Jean Downey of Williamsport; two stepdaughters, Shaye Duffney and Tessa Duffney of Minneapolis; many aunts, uncles, cousins; and his special friend, Joe Lundy.
He was preceded in death by his adoptive father, Bernard Downey, who passed away on April 23, 2026.
Arrangements have been entrusted to McCarty-Thomas Funeral Home, Hughesville.
Doug will be laid to rest with Bernie in our family cemetery at a later date.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at mccartythomas.com.
