Mark Earl Douglass

Douglass, Mark Earl aged 70 years, died on June 21, 2021, in Minneapolis, MN. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, attended West High School and then matriculated at Harvard University and Hamline Law School. He practiced law in Minnesota for several decades. In the early 1980s he was the first male survivor of childhood sexual abuse in the U.S.A. to successfully sue for childhood injuries in spite of the usual statute of limitations. In his work, he was an advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and helped change the Minnesota civil and criminal statutes of limitations in such cases. His 2007 memoir, Flashbacks of Abuse, recounted his personal journey of growth and healing. In retirement, he wrote and spoke about the spiritual and therapeutic value of forgiveness. For several years he taught English to new immigrants at the Minneapolis English Learning Center. He enjoyed reading, restoring wood and canvas canoes, hunting with his English setter, and tending to his backyard apple orchard. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Ann, his son, James, of California and his daughter, Sarah of New Zealand. A remembrance gathering in Mark's honor is being planned for this fall among his apple trees.

Published on June 27, 2021