October 11, 1924 – March 2, 2022
Alva “Al” Leslie Dougal, 97, of Plano, TX passed away on Tuesday, March 2, 2022.
He was born on October 11, 1924, in Timber Lake, to Clarence and Ethel (Peach) Dougal. Al was raised on a farm, the youngest of five boys, and was a 1941 graduate of Timber Lake High School.
Following graduation, he went on to attend the South Dakota School of Mines until 1946 when he was drafted. Stationed in Japan during the Korean War, Al took great pride in his service to our country. After the war, he returned to South Dakota School of the Mines where he earned his Bachelors of Civil Engineering Degree in 1950.
Because of the lack of jobs available following graduation, Al spent time pursuing his childhood passion of baseball and played for the State Amateur League. He enjoyed “playing first base, was a great outfielder, and a more talented batter.” (His words) He always said, “Baseball is my game.”
When a job opportunity came available in 1951, Al moved to Texas to work for Conveyer (now known as Lockheed Martin) where he designed and oversaw the manufacture of tools and parts for airplanes.
In 1955 Al was hired as a civil engineer for Forrest & Cotton, where his work truly changed the way of daily living for many in the Dallas area. The population of Plano at that time was less than 3000. Each day around 2 p.m., the little town ran out of water. His assignment for his new job was to bring water to Plano. He designed and oversaw the construction of the water treatment plant in Wylie. For the first time in 1958, Plano finally had a dependable water source from Lake Lavon.
Al changed Plano’s infrastructure by bringing water, water treatment plants, and sewer treatment plants to Plano, as well as to surrounding communities like McKinney, Rockwall, Farmersville, Princeton, and Denison. Because of his success at Forrest & Cotton with his innovative and pragmatic thinking, Al went on to work for the City of Plano as the Director of Public Works, City Engineer, and then the Director of Planning, Development, & Engineering, which allowed him to have an even greater impact on Plano’s growth and development. He played a crucial role in the development and placement of the water systems, roadways, city structures, and the list goes on. He truly enjoyed putting his skills to good use for the benefit of the city residents, until his retirement in 1986.
He met and married his wife, Valborg, in 1955 and together they raised two sons and a daughter. After Val’s death, he married Dortha Hamilton in 1990, and spent his retirement enjoying life with her by his side. His family and his faith were important to him. He was a member of the Plano First Presbyterian Church and later Suncreek United Methodist Church. Al was also active in the Lions Club, enjoyed hunting, especially pheasant hunting in South Dakota each year, and the occasional deer hunting trips in New Mexico.
At the age of 82, Al picked up his first paint brush and discovered a new-found talent.
In addition to his parents, Al was preceded in death by his wives, Valborg in 1986 and Dortha in 2013; sons Bobby Hoard and Tommy Hoard; and four brothers, Dick Olson, Jerry Olson, Jack Clausen, and Cliff Clausen.
He is survived by his daughter, Mary Doak of Oregon; five stepdaughters (fondly known as the redheaded Hamilton girls), Judy Wells, Nancy Hamilton, Vicky Hamilton, Diane (Randy) Hamilton Pruitt, and Tina (Ron) Hamilton-Cox, all of Texas; daughters-in-law, Beverly Hoard of College Station, TX and Billy Jean Hoard of Heath, TX; and many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held on March 11, 2022 at Suncreek United Methodist Church in Allen, TX. Interment with military honors followed in Restland Cemetery at Dallas.
Ted Dickey Funeral Home in Plano, TX was charge of arrangements.