IN MEMORIAM: Doug MacArthur, 77;

Unadilla Athlete Founded Trucking Firm

UNADILLA – Douglas Alexander MacArthur, 77, a professional truck driver who eventually founded his own company, MacArthur Trucking,  passed away peacefully at home in Wellington, Colo., on June 4, 2019, surrounded by his family in Northern Colorado.

Doug was born in Sidney on Jan. 11, 1942, to Mary Beardsley and John MacArthur. He spent most of his childhood in Riverside, Calif., where he enjoyed working in the orange groves with his uncles, riding his horse and fixing up old cars.

The MacArthur family resettled in Unadilla when Doug was a teenager. He enjoyed working in his father’s car shop on Route 7 and became a proud Unadilla athlete. He enjoyed playing football and basketball.

He became a professional truck driver and eventually started his own business, MacArthur Trucking. He loved his time on the road in his Freightliner and his fellow truckers knew him by his handle “Cowboy.”

Doug’s passions in life were sports and his family. He was a proud and passionate fan of the NY Mets. He was a constant supporter of the Unatego Spartans and any sports teams his children were involved in. He would travel to Albany to support the Albany Law Rugby team and he drove the Oswego State Crew team boats “shells” for several years.

He would never miss a game and became an honorable member of all the teams his children played on. You could always find him on the sidelines of many of his nieces and nephews games as well.

While he couldn’t carry a tune…that never stopped him from singing the songs he loved. His appreciation and love of music, from Waylon and Willie to Dylan and Janis, the lyrics of their songs matched the life that he lived.

Doug will be remembered for his caring and generous heart. When he was younger, he would be the first one to help out a friend or neighbor. Later in life he was always the first one to ask “how was your day?” or “how are the kids doing?”

He is survived by his former wife, Sharon MacArthur; son, Seth MacArthur; daughter, Alicia MacArthur; son-in-law, Steven Donaldson; three sisters, Susie Hull, Polly Judd and Jean Tyson; a brother-in-law, Stephen Judd; grandchildren, Mia Riley and Luca Jesse MacArthur, Adelyn and Alexa Pearl MacArthur; many nieces and nephews.

There will be a celebration of life gathering at the Sidney Elks Lodge from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 27.