Douglas Miles Durham

Douglas Miles Durham, 71, passed away on Nov. 4 after a six-year battle with colon and prostate cancer.

He is survived by his spouse, Barbara Jean Durham; his children, Miles Douglas Durham and Kelli Elizabeth Oster; his son-in-law Michael Dylan Oster; and his grandchild, Levi Oster; and a younger sister Patricia Lynn Torsher of Rochester, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his parents Miles Mathers Durham and Jane Marie Durham and his older sister Peggy Sue Thompson.

Born in Denver, Colo., he lived there until age five. In 1959, his father, a Petroleum Engineer with Shell Oil, was sent to on a project to Calgary, Alberta, Canada; the family remained in Canada for several years. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., in 1975 with a BA in Economics and Political Science. During his college years, he spent holidays traveling around Europe on trains with his backpack; he spent time in the Netherlands as well as Berlin, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In 1977 he moved to Houston to attend South Texas College of Law. After passing the Bar, his first job was as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County, Texas. He worked his way up through the ranks of the John B. Holmes District Attorney’s Office, to Chief Prosecutor in the 228th District Court and the 183rd District Court. During his tenure with the DA’s office, he tried over 50 cases to jury verdict, including a capital murder case with his mentor Rusty Hardin. He later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and reentered private practice in 1997, proceeding to represent individuals and Fortune 500 corporations for the next 20-plus years.

In retirement, Doug enjoyed spending time at his weekend getaway in Bandera, Texas, riding his customized Harley Davidson in the Hill Country back roads, and sketching and painting the beautiful scenery. His art adorns the walls of his office, home, and homes of friends.

His daughter Kelli would like to share about her father: “He was an artist at heart and loved beauty in all its forms, yet he was also minimalistic and down-to-earth. My dad taught me justice, faith, empathy, the love of literature and music, and the beauty of nature and life itself. He had compassion for the marginalized and knew how to celebrate joy. He could feel deeply and think with intellectual depth, yet always carried humor that lifted every heavy moment.

“As Assistant District Attorney and later as a criminal defense lawyer, my dad poured his heart into defending those without a voice — the marginalized, the mentally ill, the wrongly accused. Long before forensic evidence was common, he fought with courage and conviction to prove innocence and prevent injustice. His life’s work reflected his faith in God’s call to love and defend the forgotten.”

Douglas Miles Durham’s life will be celebrated with a memorial service at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church; details to follow.

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