Dr. Doug LaPlante, 58, Dickinson, died Friday, February 10, 2012 in Dickinson. Memorial service for Doug will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Rev. Dan Freed officiating. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service. Following the service there will be a time of fellowship at the Badlands Activity Center, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Douglas Allan LaPlante was born April 5, 1953, in Sioux City, Iowa to Herman and Loretta (Woolridge) LaPlante. The youngest of four children, he grew up in Sioux City, graduating in 1971 from Riverside High School. He attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned a B.A in Safety Education/Sociology in 1975 and Masters in Educational Psychology in 1978. He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Iowa State University in 1984. Throughout school, Doug worked as a Drivers Ed instructor and as a substitute teacher, and pursued his love for flying by earning his private pilot’s license. He married Elaine Nelson in 1977, and they had three beautiful children, Shelli Lyn, Scott Allan, and Josh Douglas. He worked as a professor at Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa, and in 1991, Doug and his family moved to Dickinson.
Doug loved Dickinson State University, where he was the Dean of the College of Education, Business, and Applied Sciences and had been employed for 21 years. He was deeply committed to the DSU community and the success of the student body was his primary mission in life. He enjoyed cultivating dear friendships with his colleagues, and rarely missed a university social event or Blue Hawk game.
Known by the people on his street as “Mr. Neighborhood,” Doug was often the first resident out of his home on snowy days making sure that not only his sidewalks and driveways were cleared, but that all of his neighbors’ were as well. He was an avid fisherman and hunter, and for years spent most summer weekends out on Lake Sakakawea, boating and camping with his family and friends. He also enjoyed working on his home and yard, going to Saturday morning breakfasts with his buddies, traveling, reading, and keeping his car spotless. He could be found at any given lunch hour playing “noon-ball” in Wienbergen Hall, and spent many evenings shooting hoops in the Old Pro league. He was an active member of many community organizations and supported numerous charities.
But above all, Doug loved his family. Always a caring, gentle father to Shelli, Scott, and Josh, he would often drive through the night to have more time to spend with them during visits. He never missed his children’s many sporting events, where he would be sure to have his camera and video camera in hand. Most recently, he was thrilled to be a new grandfather, showering his granddaughters Aurelia, Madeline, and Lauren with love. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do for his family. You could set your watch by his timeliness, and your moral compass by his heart. He was a kind, true, and generous man, father, grandfather, brother, neighbor, and friend.
Doug is survived by his children Shelli (Rocky) LaPlante Schneider of Fargo, Scott (Lisa) LaPlante of Ramsey, Minn., and Josh LaPlante of Dickinson; granddaughters Aurelia, Madeline, and Lauren; brother Jim (Marty) LaPlante of Fountain Valley, Calif.; sister Cheryl (Boyd) Bahney of Sioux City, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Herman, mother Loretta Vlaanderan, and sister Dr. Marilyn LaPlante.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the DSU Alumni Foundation and the DHS and Blue Hawk Booster Clubs.
