Dr. Douglas D.

Friedrich

Dr. Douglas Duane Friedrich, 82, University of West Florida Provost Emeritus and Professor of Psychology (ret.), passed away peacefully at VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit, West Florida Regional Medical Center, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with family at his side.

Doug was as much academician as he was a jokester, as much scholar as he was a friend, with his quick wit and hearty laugh, he commanded an audience no matter the setting, be it informal lunches with colleagues in the break room, or formal meetings on serious subjects. Throughout his distinguished career, he was a mentor to many and a friend to even more, and he could engage in the most serious of subjects with as much ease as he did in bragging about a fishing outing or his latest bicycle ride around the city.

From 1986-1998 Doug served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at UWF, serving under Presidents James Robinson and Morris Marx. He served as Professor of Psychology from 1998-2010, chairing the department for part of that time. In 1998, a Sabbatical took him to Berlin’s Max Planck Institute as Visiting Scientist in Life Span Development. Doug served on the board locally of the African American Heritage Society for several years, producing Ora Wills’ two volumes of Images in Black: A Pictorial History of Black Pensacola. Doug authored two textbooks, co-authored two, authored or co-authored several book chapters, and authored numerous scholarly articles in his field.

During his tenure as Provost, some of the things he was credited with include growth in enrollment and expansion of degree programs, realignment of the colleges, promotion of international programs, and development of the Leisure Learning program. He was admired for his support for the professional development of women and minorities; his respect for advice and counsel from faculty and staff, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with them; and his recognizing the importance of building a sense of community in Academic Affairs, despite the growth of faculty-staff and the addition of new facilities. For several years, Doug hosted the UWF faculty-administration-staff Oktoberfest on campus, “Friedrich’s Beer Garden”, offering a chance for all to eat, dance, throw darts at his face on the poster, and be otherwise merry. Upon retirement he took up his love for the outdoors once again, fishing and hunting, and enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family.

Originally from Rogers City, MI, Doug was born November 8, 1944. He graduated in 1962 from RCHS, where he was an All-American basketball player. He attended Morehead State University on a basketball scholarship but transferred to Central Michigan University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Doug earned his PhD in Psychology from Iowa State University in 1971, and received Post-Docs from The University of Colorado, University of Chicago, and Harvard. From 1970-1981 he served on the Psychology faculty at Central Michigan University, where he met his wife, Kay. They got married in January of 1978. Doug became CMU’s Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in 1981, and Associate Vice Provost in 1982, before coming to UWF.

Doug is preceded in death by his parents Melvin and Christine Friedrich of Rogers City, MI; sister, Barbara Brege of Presque Ile, MI.

He is survived by his wife, Kay; sisters, Joan Nowak (Gary) of Rogers City, MI; Debi Friedrich-Mikko (Karl) of Mt. Pleasant, MI; daughter Carrie Webb (Russell) of Indianapolis; IN; stepdaughter, Shelley Thompson Singleton (Matthew) of Spring Arbor, MI; five grandchildren, along with many nieces and nephews.

A remembrance gathering will be held from 2:00pm - 4:00pm Friday, January 29, 2027, in the Argonaut Athletic Club, 11000 University Pkwy, Bldg #54, Pensacola, FL 32514.

Please consider making a donation to WUWF, Gulf Coast Kids House, or a charity organization of your choice in Doug’s name.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to Susan McCauley, caregiver from Safely Home, for her help and friendship over the past 2 years. The family also extends thanks to VITAS Hospice for their compassion.