Obituary

On May 22, 2025, a gentle and wise soul left behind family and friends who loved him greatly. Douglas Brian Anchell was born in Houston, Texas, on October 20, 1954—the fourth of five children to Janice Ruth Anchell (née Levick) and Dr. Melvin Anchell, M.D.

In the early sixties, Douglas’s family moved to Los Angeles. Growing up, he shared a room with his younger brother, who recalls how Douglas made up wondrous and funny bedtime stories and always ended the evening playing classical music on a small record player placed on the floor by his nightstand.  One of his favorite works—that he played over and over—was Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.  To be moved by Scheherazade is to touch Douglas.

As a youth, Douglas was a beacon to those who knew him. He was at the center of his circle of friends, and younger children in the neighborhood looked up to him as if he were their older brother, for he loved to organize made-up games and make them laugh with his stories and frivolity.

Douglas had a gift for storytelling, primarily because he was naturally clever; because he had a mellifluous voice, and because he had so many crazy adventures—including the time he was chased on motorcycle by armed would-be kidnappers in India, and the time he ran away from home as a young teen, and hitchhiked from Los Angeles to Canada to meet a girl he fancied.

He was a dreamer with unbound ambition. Although he had no great love for money, he had countless entrepreneurial projects. If he had been successful, he would certainly have given 99% of his riches away to those less fortunate. Though he had little, he was as selfless and generous as a saint.

Douglas holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology granted by the University of California, Santa Barbara. His education did not end with college, as he read voraciously on every subject from philosophy to physics and conversed expertly on any subject he put his mind to.

Douglas thrived on being an educator. As a young man, he traveled the world—including to Japan and Uzbekistan—to teach English. During the pandemic, he taught third grade at a public elementary school, and for years, he taught chess to children at a local youth facility.

Douglas grew up in a family that loved animals, and he was not an exception.  A favorite saying of his was, “Animals are people, too.”

Douglas was blessed with two handsome fraternal twin sons, Brandon and Grant. They were the love of his life, and from the day they were born, nearly every conversation with Douglas eventually turned to talking about his boys. He wanted more than anything to be the best father he could possibly be.

In addition to his sons, Douglas is survived by his younger brother James, his older brother Stephen, and the eldest, Wendy. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, and by his comparably beautiful and funny sister, Marilyn.

Douglas had a kind and joyous spirit, and he will forever be missed and remembered.