Douglas Joseph Traverson

age of 69. Doug was born in Flushing, New York. In his youth he was an avid soccer player and

trained to be a chef. He worked as a caterer at the 21 Club in New York City and later was a

banquet chef at the Nassau Inn in Princeton, NJ. Cooking was a gift he continued to share with

others throughout his life.

Family and friends were Douglas’ life. After an on-the-job accident left him unable to work,

Douglas focused on his favorite thing, being a dad. He was a leader in his children’s Girl Scout

and Boy Scout troops and continued to serve the youth even after his children aged out of the

programs.

Camping and travel have always been a great source of joy for Doug. He and his wife Jan

started with tent camping and then moved to a pop-up camper when his kids were in elementary

school. Camping became a significant part of Doug’s family and social life; most summers and

weekends were spent driving to and enjoying various camping destinations. Doug and Jan

have driven hundreds of thousands of miles, covering all 48 continental United States, Alaska,

Canada, and Mexico. While it’s not a driving destination, a few years ago they were finally able

to check the last state, Hawaii, off the list. Doug spent many of these memorable, joy-filled trips

with his children and grandchildren in tow.

Using his skills as a chef Douglas served as the South Carolina Good Sam Club State Chef,

and hosted many breakfasts and dinners for the Church with the Knights of Columbus, where

he was a Past Grand Knight and a member of the 4th Degree Honor Guard.

As a HAM radio operator Doug, call sign N3PYF, attended annual Field Days and reported for

duty when disasters struck to help maintain emergency radio communication.

Doug always strived to make people laugh and smile. He was known for telling corny, and

sometimes off-color, jokes. Serving cotton candy and hosting Christmas parties for the

Georgetown, SC, and Haines City, FL Special Olympics brought him much joy.

Despite living with pain since his work injury as a young man, Doug’s spirit was to live life to its

fullest. As one of his granddaughters put it: “Poppy lived vicariously. He was always wanting to

take us places to enjoy the adventures he no longer could.”

Douglas was predeceased by his parents, Sophie (née Jablonski) and Joseph, and his siblings

Gerard and Cherylee. His memory will be carried on in his wife, Janice; his children Craig (&

Cricket) of Glen Burnie, MD, Susanne (& Chris Tyrrell) of Boonton, NJ, and Heather (& Lawton

Watts) of Conway, SC; and his 14 grandchildren: Sophia, Lucy, Sarah, Maximilian, Peter,

Joseph, Margaret, Analiese and Samuel Tyrrell; Abigail, Emily, Angela, and Alex Traverson;

and his wee littlest granddaughter, Madelyn Watts. He was a man who was present in all of our

lives and will be deeply missed.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11AM on March 3, 2021 at St Ann Catholic Church, 1311

Robinson Drive, Haines City, FL 33844. Interment will be at a later date in Boonton, NJ.

Poppy's Poem

By Lucy Tyrrell (2015)

Poppy is the kind of guy you want to meet each day.

He makes you laugh and giggle, he makes you want to stay.

He makes you want to laugh with glee --

I'm so glad he's my Poppy.

When you're down, he brings you up.

He brings you high, out of the dumps.

He travels all around the coasts;

He brings me too, I have to boast.

But in the end it all comes down to what's inside his heart.

The love inside that makes you never ever want to part

Even when he's in a loop

He always remembers "I LOVE YOU."