Doug Symons was one of those caring people that really had a deep, deep interest in the City of Woodstock. Not only Woodstock, but the County of Oxford and some of the people who made Woodstock and the County of Oxford what it is today.
For years, Symons wrote Symons Says, a column for the Woodstock Sentinel-Review that shared interesting tales from the history of Woodstock and Oxford County, as well as stories from his own family history.
During his years as a columnist, he also published four books on the history of Woodstock – Woodstock: Way Back When (1993), The Village That Straddled a Swamp: An Informal History of Woodstock (1997), The Giants of Oxford (2001) and .Memories of Yore (2011).
Symons not only made a deep impact on the commuDoug Symons was one of those caring people that really had a deep, deep interest in the City of Woodstock. Not only Woodstock, but the County of Oxford and some of the people who made Woodstock and the County of Oxford what it is today.
For years, Symons wrote Symons Says, a column for the Woodstock Sentinel-Review that shared interesting tales from the history of Woodstock and Oxford County, as well as stories from his own family history.
During his years as a columnist, he also published four books on the history of Woodstock – Woodstock: Way Back When (1993), The Village That Straddled a Swamp: An Informal History of Woodstock (1997), The Giants of Oxford (2001) and .Memories of Yore (2011).
Symons not only made a deep impact on the community through his books and beloved column, but also through volunteering with a number of local organizations, including the Woodstock Lions Club and the Oxford Historical Society, where he served as vice-president for a number of years.
He had a passion for dressing up for various events in the community and an overwhelming zest for life.
Family was extremely important to Symons, and one of the milestones in his life was meeting his best friend, Catherine Patricia Holdsworth, who would soon change her name to Cathy Symons when they married in 1954.
They were happily married for 65 years and had three children together: Stephen, Jeffrey and Lisa.
When getting ready for his death, Symons wrote, “All worldly accomplishments pale beside the enormous pride I took in my part of raising our loving and productive family. This is my last chance to tell you that I love you all.” ...more