Dr. Douglas McGregor, 79, of Leawood, KS, passed away on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, at St Joseph Medical Center surrounded by family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mizuki Kitani McGregor of 49 years, his daughter Michelle, son-in-law Michael and their son Alexander (Honolulu, HI), his son David, daughter-in-law Amy and their son Matthew (Collierville, TN), his brother Donald and sister-in-law Christine (Clinton, CT), along with numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his mother Joyce, father Harleigh, brother Daniel and sister-in-law Yvonne.
Douglas “Doug” McGregor was born August 28, 1939 to Joyce and Harleigh McGregor in Temple, TX. He grew up in Pelham, NY and graduated from Pelham Memorial High School in 1957.
Doug earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Duke University in 1961. He then spent a year studying in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. He returned to Duke University where he earned his M.D. in 1966. He underwent training as a pathology resident at the UCLA Center for Health Sciences in Los Angeles, CA and at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, HI. He served as Chief Resident at both of these institutions. In between his years as a pathology resident, he served as a pathologist and researcher for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in Hiroshima, Japan (1968-1971) through the U.S. Public Health Service. While at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, he studied the effects of radiation exposure on atomic bomb survivors. In Hiroshima, he met Mizuki, who worked as a registered nurse at the same institution.
Doug joined the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center as a staff pathologist in 1973 where he worked for 47 years. In addition, he served as the Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and as the Director of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology at various times. He also was a tenured Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He was a productive researcher having published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He especially took pride in his teaching responsibilities, and over course of his career, he mentored hundreds of medical students, pathology residents, and junior faculty members.
Beyond his professional career and accomplishments, what brought him the most joy were his family and personal relationships. Doug and Mizuki were active members of the Heart of America Japan-America Society and participated in countless Japanese cultural events for many years. Doug also loved to travel and explore. Over the past seven years, Doug and Mizuki traveled to Cuba, South Africa, China, India, and South America, as well as to many places throughout the United States. He loved listening to and performing music. He was an incredible piano player throughout his life, specializing in jazz, and he sang in the glee club at Duke. He was also an avid photographer. In fact, he could always be relied upon to serve as the unofficial photographer at all professional and family events and then share prints with all those in the photos. He was widely known for his sharp wit, lively sense of humor, and practical jokes, which kept everyone on their toes. The relationships he had with others were very meaningful to him and contributed greatly to a long fulfilling life.
The family wishes to thank Doug’s medical caregivers at St Joseph Medical Center. A celebration of Doug’s life will be held on Saturday March 16 at 11 am, followed by a lunch reception at the Johnson County Funeral Chapel & Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the Heart of America Japan-America Society, the KU Foundation-Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, or a humanitarian charity.