Douglas Antero Soares, 67, died January 8, 2025. His love for his four boys and his wife was the driving force of his life.
Doug earned the Eagle Scout award as a youth and showed the same drive and determination throughout his life. He worked his way through culinary school at Johnson and Wales University by cooking in local restaurants but soon changed his focus to hotel management. He began his career at the Radisson in Pennsylvania and then moved to Burlington, Vermont where he met the love of his life, Mary Jane Wing. They married and moved to Massachusetts and then to Florida where he was lured away from the Radisson to the Marriott Corporation.
Doug opened several hotels for Marriott holding various positions in sales and regional management. The family moved from Florida to Georgia, back to Florida then to Rhode Island and then finally to New Hampshire. Shortly before his retirement Doug worked from home where he assumed the responsibility for preparing meals to the delight of his entire family, especially his wife! The neighborhood they lived in were also treated to his culinary skills, as they often hosted card nights which seemed to be catered by a 5 star restaurant under Doug’s expertise. Even in their retirement, when he prepared dinner just for Mary, there would be a sprig of parsley, or a radish rosette to add to the presentation.
His goal was to retire at 60, and at 60 he retired and settled into the ‘Soares Last Resort’ in Sanbornville. Doug always wanted to live on the water and spent years searching for the perfect spot. When he finally found a home on the beautiful Lovell Lake he spent three years transforming it into a sanctuary for his wife and children and grandchildren.
Doug had a few precious years to explore the joys of retirement. He became restless pretty quickly and took a job as an usher for the Fisher Cats Baseball team and later as a barista at a local Londonderry coffee shop. Then he learned the pleasure of working for free! When he moved to Sanbornville, he jumped into the Lions Club volunteering his time as the membership chair. He brought many ideas to the club, starting the annual ‘Shred Event’ which offered free shredding of sensitive documents, and initiating what has become the annual tree bonfire. Under his role of membership chair the club gained more than 15 new members. In 2024 Doug was presented with the Granite State Fellow Award for exceptional service to NH Citizens by the NH Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation. Doug also volunteered at the Wakefield Food Pantry, picking up food and stocking the shelves. He served on the committee celebrating the 250th anniversary of Wakefield and recently joined the board of the Greater Wakefield Resource Center.
His four sons were Doug’s pride and joy. He was their scout leader in the woods and their coach on the baseball field. He loved playing with and challenging the boys, especially when it came to food. When they were young, he Introduced the boys to the world of World Championship Wrestling and the family room often became the wrestling ring. Later, his tutelage moved into the kitchen where one or the other of the boys could be seen helping with a meal. Doug was a marvelous teacher and mentor and his boys stand as a testament to his success.
Doug was predeceased by his parents Antero and Agnes Soares and sister, Diane, his nephews Baxter and Charlie, and niece Evelyn. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mary Wing Soares and his four sons, Michael (Katherine), Christopher (Tristen), Anthony (Annelise) and Thomas (Julie) and his beloved grandchildren who made being a ‘Poobah” the best, Hayley, Thomas, Liam and Emmaline.
Calling hours will be held on Saturday, January 25th from 2 – 4pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd., Londonderry. A Catholic prayer service will be held at 2:45pm during calling hours. Doug will be buried in Rutland, VT at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Wakefield NH End 68 Hours of Hunger @ https://givebutter.com/end68hoursofhunger or the Wakefield food pantry 1500 Wakefield Road Sanbornville, NH 03872..