Douglas Redd was born at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, where his father was serving in the U.S. Air Force as a mechanical engineer professor. He was the fourth of seven children and inherited his father’s intellectual curiosity and love of research and academia. He moved around the country with his family before settling in Utah. His father was a key figure at the Space Dynamic Lab at Utah State University in Logan. It was in Logan where Doug met his wife Linda when they were both college students -- he was majoring in biology and Linda studied social psychology. They married soon after. He later went on to pursue a master’s degree in molecular genetics at Ohio State University. Doug and Linda’s first son Maxwell was born on Doug’s first day of class in his master’s program Ohio State -- Doug did not miss his class or Maxwell’s birth. After completing his masters, he worked for 15 years in the biotech industry, rising to director of genomics in a biotech firm in San Diego, California. Doug and Linda’s second son Eric was born in La Jolla, California. 


In 2005, Doug and his family moved from California back to Utah. Not wanting to lose Doug, his biotech employer kept him on through telework. In 2009, Doug made a career change. He began working for the University of Utah and the Department of Veteran Affairs as an informatician. Computer science started as a hobby for Doug when he was in college, but over the years, he had become a highly skilled software engineer without any formal training. While he was working full time, Doug earned a Ph.D. in biomedical informatics. Afterward, he was appointed as a research assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He also served as the associate director of the Biomedical Informatics Center. His colleagues highly respected Doug for his skills and intelligence. He is loved for his ever-present smile, kindness, and humbleness. 


In 2015, their son, Maxwell, married Ashley Black. During the same year, Doug, Linda, and Eric relocated to Virginia. Like his father, Eric excelled in school and is gifted in many subjects, including math and swimming. As a family, they loved traveling and reading. Linda is an accomplished amateur photographer while Doug and his sons enjoyed woodworking. Doug and Linda celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on June 21, 2020, two days before Doug suffered a fatal heart attack. 


Doug’s passing is devastating for his family, friends, and colleagues. We appreciate your donation to help Linda and Eric, who is 16, through this difficult time.