Alan Deming Doak

Alan Deming Doak, 83, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. He was born on August 13, 1943, in Dalhart, Texas, to Deming Richard Doak and Ruth Folse Doak.

Alan was a cowboy from the time he could walk. He grew up on the family ranch in Gladstone, New Mexico, and attended school in Clayton, New Mexico. He went on to graduate from New Mexico State University, where he met the love of his life, Ellaine Ann Calhoun. They married and began a life together that would span 63 years.

After their marriage, Alan and Ellaine moved with Alan’s parents to Kersey, Colorado, where their first son, Richard, was born. Two years later, the family moved to a ranch 35 miles south of Miles City, Montana, where their second son, James, was born. In 1977, Alan and Ellaine purchased a ranch in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where they raised their boys and remained until after both sons graduated from college.

In 1993, Alan and Ellaine moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they opened a custom door and window business. They operated the business together for more than 30 years, continuing until 2025.

But Alan’s true calling was always the cowboy life. Whether working cattle on the ranch, roping calves, or team roping, he was most at home on a horse. The ranch was not simply where he lived, it was part of who he was. He carried the values learned there throughout his life: hard work, honesty, perseverance, and treating others with kindness and respect.

Alan loved his family, his friends, and the Lord with all his heart. His faith was an important part of his life, and he served his church for many years as treasurer and in numerous ministries, including Walk to Emmaus. He lived his faith not only through service, but through the way he treated people.

Alan was kind and patient, with an easy laugh and a gift for storytelling. He loved country dancing with Ellaine, his dogs, and, perhaps most of all, being there for his family. He attended every ball game his sons ever played in. He had a remarkable ability to see the good in everyone and could strike up a conversation with anyone, making people feel welcome and valued.

Alan was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Ellaine Ann Calhoun Doak, after 63 years of marriage.

He is survived by his sister Marcia Doak Miller of Amarillo, Texas; and his sons, Richard Alan Doak and his wife, Stacy, of Keedysville, Maryland, and James Andrew Doak and his wife, Lisa, of Parker, Colorado; and by his grandchildren, Justin, Alexandra, Bethany, Jenna, Drew, and Kelsey.

Alan leaves behind much more than memories. He leaves a legacy of faith, family, hard work, kindness, and love. He taught his boys to work hard, be honest, and treat people as they would want to be treated. The men they became owe much to the lessons their father taught them and, even more, to the life he modeled for them.

He was a cowboy, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, and a man of faith. He lived his life with humility, humor, and an open heart—and he made the lives of those around him better simply by being there.

He will be deeply missed and forever loved.