CHILLICOTHE: James Douglas Kimsey, 56, of Chillicothe, Ohio, (Ross County) died 2:35 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2015 in the Adena Regional Medical Center following a short illness.
Doug was born April 16, 1959, in Portsmouth, Ohio, (Scioto County) to the late James E. and Wanada Green Kimsey.
On November 28, 1987, he married the former Selena K. Ratliff who survives.
Also surviving are sons, Ryan Kimsey, of San Francisco, CA, Stephen (Katie) Cunningham, of Portsmouth, OH, Eric Kimsey of Portsmouth, OH and Alex Kimsey, of Chillicothe, OH; a grandson, Carter Cunningham; a brother, Dave (Rhonda) Kimsey, of South Bloomfield, OH; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Doug, a United States Navy Veteran served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during Operation Enduring Freedom -
He retired from the Navy Reserves in 2011 with 26 years of service.
Doug worked in Journalism for over 25 years and was a teacher for Southeastern School District. He was a member of American Legion Post 62, AMVETS Post 2256, Circleville, Ohio and was an umpire in southern Ohio for over 25 years.
Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2015 in the WARE FUNERAL HOME with Pastor Scott Graham officiating.
Burial will follow in Grandview Cemetery where military graveside rites will be conducted by the Ross County Veterans Honor Guard.
Friends may call at the WARE FUNERAL HOME from Noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday.Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society 5555 Frantz Road Dublin, Ohio 43017.You may sign his online register at
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CHILLICOTHE – From the outside, it appeared to be a normal day at Southeastern schools. Bells still rang, and students shuffled from one classroom to the next.
But Monday was not a normal day. The news trickled from faculty and staff to students, and a more somber mood fell over the campus as the word spread that middle school teacher Doug Kimsey had died.
“He did everything,” said Aaron Skeens, a sixth-grade science teacher who worked closely with Kimsey at Southeastern for the past 10 years.
Kimsey died Sunday afternoon. Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November, the man known as the “Voice of the Panthers” continued his work at the school until January.
Mark Carroll was another teacher who worked closely with Kimsey. Carroll said he “respected (Kimsey) a lot for teaching” after the diagnosis. “I couldn’t have handled it that well,” he said.
“Teachers, parents and kids loved him,” said Brian Justice, district superintendent. “He got to know all the students very well.”
Known for his generosity, he and his family sponsored a family for Christmas for many years, but Middle School Principal Zack Pfeifer recalled a story when the teacher gave one of his old cars to a former student.
“Doug found a common interest in everyone he met,” Pfeifer said. “He would find out what you were interested, in and he could share a common interest as well. ... He could talk about anything.”
Pfeifer had known Kimsey since Kimsey’s career at Southeastern as an intervention specialist began in 2002. Since then, they spent six years working closely together.
“He always loved sports and being around kids, so when he had the opportunity to change his career and go into education, he was so grateful that Southeastern gave him that chance,” Justice said.
“He loved baseball, without a doubt that was his number one love,” Justice continued. “He used to always email out to everyone a prediction on the (Cincinnati) Reds. I know, this year, he did not send that out, so I knew he was more sick than what he wanted to say.”
Kimsey, who before becoming a teacher was a journalist for more than 20 years, including a stint with The Gazette, also was heavily involved with the Chillicothe Paints baseball team.
He also was a Navy veteran, who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and retired in 2011
“We’re heartbroken, I mean, the entire organization,” said Bryan Wickline, vice president and general manager of the Paints from 1994 to 2014. Kimsey was “part of the fabric at Paints baseball,” he said.
But the baseball diamond was not the only facility at which Kimsey could be found working.
“Anywhere we needed him to be an announcer, he was willing to help us out,” Justice said.
As a result, he spent many hours announcing baseball and basketball games.
“The best quote I could ever say about an individual, once you get to know them a little bit personally, as far as professionally is, he was probably the most respected teacher in the middle school. People liked him,” Justice said.
“He was an all-in-all cheerleader of everything and everybody. He was very proud of Southeastern,” Pfeifer said.