Douglas L. Pope Obituary

Mr. Douglas L. Pope, 85 of Albany died May 11, 2009 at his residence.Born April 10, 1924 in Pinehurst, GA, Mr. Pope has lived in Albany since 1951 where he was a member of Raleigh White Baptist Church and the Fishermen's Sunday School Class and a member of American Legion. Mr. Pope served in the Army Air Corps in World War II as an aerial photographer.He was a graduate of the University of Tampa in Engineering, ABAC in Tifton and the University of Georgia with a BS in Soil Science and Agronomy. Mr. Pope was with USDA, Soil Conservation Service for 36 years. At retirement he was Area Conservationist for 30 counties in Southwest Georgia.He received many state and national awards for his contributions to soil and water conservation. He was selected by Encyclopedia Britannica as Personality of the South in 1976 and Outstanding American in 1978. He received two Dept. of the Navy Commendation Awards for his leadership in grass density studies for Georgia and Tennessee. He developed the first Land Management Plan for the Albany Marine Base.In 1982 he and his wife, Delores received the Environmental Educators of the Year Award from the Georgia Chapter of Soil Conservation Society of America for work with the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop of Georgia; as Director for 12 years. Each year an annual college scholarship to any accredited college in Georgia was presented, in his name, to a deserving student attending the workshop.He received the Outstanding Agricultural Alumni Award from the University of Georgia in 1987. In 1988 he received the Georgia Conservationist of the Year Award from the Soil Conservation Society and from the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Districts in 1990.He was a former member and Director of Albany Kiwanis Club. He worked for many years with Boy and Girl Scouts of America. In 1978 he received the Good Turn Award from the Chehaw Council, and was a member of Stonebridge Golf and County Club.Following retirement, he and his wife, Delores, organized Pope Consultants and managed several large farming operations for Citadel Group in Georgia and Florida. He was on the staff of F & W Agriservices; He was on the Governor's Advisory Council on State Water Issues.He and his staff have assisted several hundred landowners needing environmental assessments of their property in order to obtain needed permits to develop their property.Mr. Pope was an environmentalist for several counties in South Georgia who had needs for permits to maintain and install infrastructure. He and his wife Delores are the only couple to both receive the Outstanding Conservation Award presented by the Woodman of the World Life Insurance Company.He has designed and built over 1000 earthen dams in South Georgia, presented over 200 TV programs on Soil and Water and written many articles on Soil and Water Conservation for National magazines.Mr. Pope has written two books, one on South Georgia land and what is happening to our Natural Resources: soil and water. Another book is on his life growing up on a mule and cotton farm, his work with USDA as a teenager, his experiences of three years in the European Theater in World War II and thirty years with USDA, Soil & Water Conservation Service as Area Conservationist for South Georgia.Mr. Pope was preceded in death by his parents, James Sanders Pope and Neva Williams Pope and his sister, Clyde Collins of Macon, GASurvivors include his wife of 58 years, Delores Hendley Pope of Albany, three sons, Rodney Lee Pope and his wife Nadine of Marietta, GA, Michael Leon Pope and his wife, Nancy of Newnan, GA and Russell Sanders Pope and his wife, Kathy of Live Oak, FL, grandsons, Douglas Eugene Pope and his wife Rachel of Live Oak, FL and Zachary Ryan Pope of Marietta, granddaughter, Frances Holt of Albany and a great grandson, Jonathan Michael Pope of Live Oak, FL, nephews, James Collins of Calhoun, GA, Ron Collins of Atlanta and cousins, Lummie Williams of Cordele, GA and Betty Gotsch of Alb

Douglas L. Pope Obituary

April 10, 1924 - May 11, 2009