Douglas Bast

Douglas Garns Bast, 83, passed away peacefully at Doey’s House (Hospice of Washington County) on March 4, 2021.
Doug was born on March 13, 1937 and was preceded in death by his mother, Malinda Lecretia Gail (Garns) Bast, father Gerald Douglas Bast Sr. and infant sister, Suzanne. He is survived by his half-brother, Gerald D. Bast Jr. of Charles Town, WV, his uncle, Reverend Bob Krempels, a niece and nephew, numerous cousins, his former wife and friend Carolyn Scadden Aiken, and his friend of many years, Zita Garazo.
Doug was a 1955 graduate of Boonsboro High School and attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, WV. He also studied at the Medenhall School of Auctioneering and the Chicago School of Interior Design.
He was the 3rd generation family member to own and operate the furniture store, Bast of Boonsboro. This prominent Main Street establishment originally opened as a cabinet shop in 1837 and was called on to offer undertaking services in 1862 during the Civil War. The business continued thereafter as a combined operation, offering both furniture and funeral services. During the 1960s, the two businesses were separated. At the time of its closure in 2011, it was the oldest continuously operating furniture store in Maryland.
The Boonsborough Museum of History has been a landmark of Main Street for 46 years and is witness to Doug’s lifelong discovery and preservation of artifacts from almost every conceivable segment of our planet’s history. But his American Civil War collection is most celebrated. In 2018 he formed a non-profit organization to ensure this prize of Boonsboro continues to delight and inform visitors in the years to come.
Doug has helped countless individuals in their quest of genealogical information and local history. He became known as “Boonsboro’s Historian” and was instrumental in helping establish the Boonsboro Historical Society and was one of their charter members. He was also active in the Washington County Historical Society, the Rural Heritage Museum and served on the Washington County Historical Advisory Committee. In 2012 he co-authored a book on Boonsboro. His insatiable curiosity and search for interesting artifacts led him to take up scuba diving and spelunking. He was always available to assist in explaining some facet of history, folklore and antique appraisal.  And he enjoyed nothing more than conducting tours of his beloved museum.
In addition to his business and collecting interests, Doug was an active participant in community and public activities and served as assistant mayor, town council member and police commissioner for Boonsboro. Doug also served on the election board and volunteered as an ambulance driver. Doug was a Naval Reserve Veteran called to active duty during the Berlin and Cuban Missile Crisis and was a long-time member of Clopper-Michael post 10 American Legion in Boonsboro. Doug attended Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Boonsboro.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are encouraged to the Douglas G. Bast Museum of History and Preservation Inc. (501-C3 nonprofit), 113 North Main Street, Boonsboro, MD 21713 will help ensure that Doug’s desire to share his extraordinary collection with the public is realized. A celebration of Doug’s life will be arranged and announced at some future time.
A funeral procession will be held on March 13, 2021, departing Bast-Stauffer Funeral Home at approximately 11:30am. Friends, family and history lovers alike are welcome to participate. The route will proceed down Old National Pike, along Main Street to the Boonsboro Cemetery family Mausoleum and continue to the museum for conclusion.
Doug’s family and friends are grateful for the skillful staff of Meritus Health, Fahrney Keedy and Doey’s House who provide compassionate care under the difficult conditions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Expressions and memories may be shared at www.staufferfuneralhome.com

https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/doug-bast-boonsboros-encyclopedia-dies-at-83/article_1d0a00f1-097d-5be3-b123-e3374034fd07.html

https://boonsborohistoricalsociety.org/passing-of-boonsboros-historian/