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Doug Bush, ‘heart of the City Mission,’ dies

By Katherine Mansfield staff Writer mansfield@observer-Reporter.Com 7 min read
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Courtesy of Gary Porter

In late 1998, Douglas Bush sought refuge at the Washington City Mission, and never really left. He established the organization’s NA and AA meetings, and most recently served as the mission’s chaplain and Paul’s House coordinator.

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Courtesy of Eric Forberger

Doug Bush, right, leads men in devotion at the City Mission Chapel. Bush was an ordained minister who co-pastored Legacy Recovery Church and delighted in preaching at area churches, speaking at organizations like Greenbriar and helping everyone in need however he could.

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In this photo from February, Douglas Bush accepts the 2023 Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award from the Washington County Community Foundation for his devotion to promoting human welfare and his work throughout the community. In April, Bush was awarded the Resurrection Power – Faith and Community Award.

Washington is a little dimmer this week, after Doug Bush – a pastor, champion of those in recovery and recipient of the 2023 Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award – died Monday after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 64.

“Doug Bush was the heart of the City Mission,” said Leah Dietrich, director of residential programs and Bush’s supervisor. “His impact was helping people to find hope in a time that everything else was dark. He did that here at City Mission and he did that in the community, and he did that by serving at Greenbriar and by going to Drum Circle and by speaking at churches and community groups. He was just light.”

That light shone throughout the community for decades. After being released from jail on Dec. 24, 1998, Bush walked to the City Mission, where he was offered shelter, food, clothing – and a second chance. Bush spent the rest of his life working at the mission, first as the donations manager and most recently as Paul’s House Coordinator and Chaplain, the role he most cherished.

“(He was) thankful for God bringing him out of the jail system, to the mission and to a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Lance Whitlock, pastor of Legacy Church International, who knew Bush for more than 20 years and encouraged him to get ordained.

Bush, who was instrumental in founding the nonprofit Resurrection Power, went on to serve at Legacy Recovery Church, where he and Marlo Barry co-pastored. Whitlock said Barry recently celebrated 10 years of sobriety, an achievement Bush was able to celebrate with her.

Another big achievement, in Whitlock’s memory: the time he and Bush and welcomed dozens into the church, together.

“When residents at the mission needed to be baptized, we would do a joint baptism. There’s a VHS – yes, I said VHS – somewhere in existence that has us baptizing 30-plus people, between the church I was at. At least half of those people were from the mission,” Whitlock said. “It was pretty powerful. Every now and then we would talk, remember that time we had all those people baptized?”

It isn’t surprising, though, considering Bush lived his faith, and started each day with a reminder of God’s grace. Whitlock saw that in action during his time as a case manager at the City Mission.

“He’d always open up devotions at 7 a.m. with ‘God is good!’ The crowd would say, ‘All the time!’ He would say, ‘All the time!’ and then they would say, ‘God is good!’ That constant reminder, that early reminder at the start of the day – it was just a great inspiration that as rough as yesterday was and today may be, God is still good,” Whitlock said.

From the pulpit or in passing, Bush connected with people in a powerful way.

“He had a big impact on people’s lives and was a devout person, and one of the most spiritual people I’ve ever met, and just had an aura of happiness, of joy,” said Eric Pizzi, a resident at the mission. “You could feel it when you talked to him.”

Pizzi, like so many others in the recovery community, credits Bush with his recovery, including helping him to find meaning and live a purposeful life.

“What Doug Bush taught me is how to get outside of myself. He was just able to teach me how to live a routine life with purpose outside of self-centeredness, and be helpful to others. That is so hard as a human to relay to other humans. This is a very difficult thing to do with people that are in trauma-type, addiction-type, life trauma situations,” Pizzi said.

Bush not only made people feel seen, but those who knew him said he always picked up the phone, always had time for everyone.

“I was capable of relying on him any time, any moment, anywhere. There were hundreds of people, he was always available and it’s just so beautiful,” Pizzi said.

Those who had the pleasure of knowing Bush took to social media to share similar testimonies, fond memories and condolences.

Patricia Bush, Bush’s sister, was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. Though close, Bush never talked to her about the broad reach he had in the community.

“I knew him as my brother, my little brother. I had no idea,” Patricia said.

Both grew up in Houston and graduated from Chartiers-Houston High School, where Bush was a standout football player, sprinter and wrestler. While Bush returned to the area after attending Williams College, Patricia graduated from college and spent the better part of her life in Boston.

Distance couldn’t separate the siblings, though. Every Saturday morning, Patricia and Doug talked on the phone. And every summer, Bush spent a week on Martha’s Vineyard with his older sister.

Doug loved the ocean and, even on vacation, attended to his recovery.

“In the early years, when he first visited me, I’m new to the island and I don’t know anybody. He’s in the recovery system; he would go to meetings at Martha’s Vineyard. He and I would go out walking. More people knew him,” laughed Patricia. “People would go, ‘Hi, Doug, hi Doug!’ He had that ability to just make friends wherever he went, immediately.”

Bush made and kept friends, like his best friend Douglas Young, who enjoyed more than 60 years of friendship with Bush.

“Our fathers went to high school together. They were friends. When I moved into Houston, my grandparents lived right across the street from where the Bushes lived. He was 4, I was 5. The first thing he said to me was, ‘My dad knows your dad.’ That was the catalyst for a friendship that has lasted for an eternity,” Young said.

Every Christmas since childhood, the pair talked on the phone, and called one another on their birthdays. Young and Bush were in each other’s weddings, shared inside jokes, saw each other through difficult times. Young said he could write a book – or fill a newspaper – with memories.

Those who knew Bush will miss him but will forge ahead, fueled by memories.

“I’ve been here 15 years at the mission,” said City Mission CEO Dean Gartland. Doug was the first person I was introduced to when I got here. His job was to take me around and introduce me to folks. We were walking down to the thrift store in Canonsburg. The police are driving by, they’re beeping the horn, he waves and they’re waving at him. I’m thinking, ‘Who is this guy?’ There is a verse, Matthew 25:35-40. That was Doug. If you were hungry or you were thirsty or you were naked and needed clothing … he made sure your need was met.”

Bush’s legacy will be his infectious laugh and big smile, his jazz scatting and his big, silly belly slaps, his spirituality, his unconditional love, and more.

“I really think his legacy is the hundreds of people that are in recovery today and who are engaged in a local church as a result of Doug’s testimony. That was Doug’s passion and heart, to see people get out of the lifestyle of addiction and despair,” Gartland said. “He meant so much to so many people and we love him. It’s not going to be the same without him here.”

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