Birth date: Jul 13, 1943 Death date: Aug 12, 2018
Douglas Ronald Fahl, 75, of Leesburg, Virginia passed away at home on August 12, 2018 with his wife and daughter by his bedside. Born in Washington D.C., he grew up in Alexandria and graduated from Hammond High School. In 1967, he Read Obituary
I work in Civil Engineering at VT and had many lovely interactions over the years through the CEE Alumni Board with Doug. I always looked forward to seeing him at the meetings and will forever smile at his memory. He cared so much for this place and these students; he was a genuine Hokie. #UtProsim, Doug - may your memory live on in those who have crossed your path. May your family know your blessings and have peace.
It is with great regret that I returned from a week of being out of town to read of Doug’s passing today. I’m sorry I was not able to attend his celebration of life. What a nice man he was. I got to know Doug while working for Chairman York. We all had a passion for transportation projects and Doug and I would strategize at conferences and also while sipping a beer at MBK. My condolences to his family. Doug truly was one of my favorite people and I am so very sorry for your loss and for all of us. Things are just a little less bright with out that huge grin.
Robin Bartok
Doug was always so dynamic and encouraging to me when I would see him at events or in business meetings. I was very sorry to hear about his passing. You all were very blessed to have him in your family. I pray that God grants all of you "a peace that surpasses all understanding" in your time of grieving.
Casey Veatch
I am so sorry to learn of your loss. I worked with Doug for many years in my capacity as lobbyist for the Virginia Association for Commercial Real Estate. He was always a wealth of information and always cheerful and a good friend. He will be truly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
It was very sad news to hear about Doug's passing. Doug and I were roommates our freshman year at Virginia Tech. Even though our paths crossed only a few times after college, I delighted in the news I heard about his successes in life - family, business and service to his state and to VT. The times we did spend together were always high energy and uplifting. He just made people feel special. What a great guy - I will miss him a lot.
I have learned about the death of Doug with shock he was my friend and shared very interesting short stories with me. He was always very smart something which made me start talking to him I will dearly miss his knowledge of issues.
I'll never forget the first time I met with Doug in his office in Leesburg. The meeting was scheduled for 30 minutes, but we talked for more than two hours. In my former role as a newspaper report and my current role as a nonprofit executive, I've had the privilege of meeting a lot of interesting people. Doug stood out because of he was so genuinely interested in his work and the community's well-being. And for his generosity of sharing his perspective on the growth of Northern Virginia and the challenges of the future. In that first meeting, Doug was patient with my questions and, as I recalled, unrolled several maps that showed how the region's highway network developed. This Tar Heel remembered thinking, "For a Hokie, he's not a bad guy!" Over the years, Doug was supportive of my work and willing to share feedback, both positive and when he thought I could do better. He will be missed by many.
Connie and I offer our sincere condolences to Laurie and the entire Fahl family. What a horrible loss of such a special person. Doug and I first met in the early '70's when as young civil engineers we both went to work for Dewberry at about the same time and worked together about 4 years before I left to go in a different direction. Doug, of course, spent his entire professional career at Dewberry and what a distinguished career it was. No one knows more about land development in this region than Doug, from a technical, political and regulation standpoint. Over the years he devoted much of his time in the many professional organizations representing the land development profession. I had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors with Doug at NAIOP, NVBIA, and other organizations. He always came prepared to discuss the issues of the day. Over the last several decades we spent time in leadership alumni positions serving VA Tech, where we both graduated with Civil Engineering Degrees. Doug knew so many people and befriended them all. He was extremely instrumental in his lobbying efforts to politicians at the local and state levels. I know Laurie that Connie and I will never forget the Christmas day several years back where we bumped into you guys at the Hay Adams Hotel bar. What a fun, unplanned day that turned out to be. Words cannot express what a special person Doug was and how much he will be missed by so many.
John DeBell
Doug was one of my first bosses in 1986 and a wonderful mentor and example. He encouraged me in my career and my Virginia Tech experiences and I will always fondly remember, respect and admire this man.
