Douglas Kintner Hudson

Douglas Kintner Hudson, 81, of Ocala, Florida, succumbed to a short battle with pancreatic cancer on October 8, 2023, at home, surrounded by his family.

He was born on November 10, 1941, in Berkeley, California. He was the first of three boys born to Edith [Goldsmith] and George Afton Hudson. He spent his childhood in the California Bay Area; then his family moved to Falls Church, Virginia.

An avid swimmer, he became a lifeguard, swim coach, and swimming pool manager in his teens. After graduating high school, he spent a year at the Virginia Military Institute and then attended American University, where he played on the baseball team.

He graduated in 1964, and began a 44 year career in what he called the “intriguing and exciting world of insurance.” He began that career as an underwriter for GEICO in Washington, DC. At only twenty-three, he moved to Oahu, Hawaii to manage the GEICO office there. His oldest daughter, Sara, was born in Hawaii. In his spare time, he raced his MG in stock car races. But not someone to be contained by an island, Doug returned to the Washington, DC area, before moving to Denver, Colorado, where he met the love of his life and wife of 50 years, Bonnie [Quaintance] . Together, they had two more daughters, Jennifer and Heidi. In 1978, the family moved to Brandon, Florida, where they lived for over 25 years.

During those years, he worked for Poe & Associates and later Brown & Brown as Director of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations. At Brown & Brown, he took particular pride in creating beautiful annual reports and spectacular annual sales meetings, among his other responsibilities. Outside of work, he was involved on various boards including, between 1979 and the early 1990’s, the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, serving over the years as Race Director and on the Active Board as President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

But his greatest love was being a horseman, as well as a horseshow dad and husband. He hauled his girls to 4-H and Appaloosa Horse Association horse shows all over the southeast, and as far as Oklahoma City, Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas for National and World Appaloosa Horse Shows. He spent years as the President of the Central Florida Appaloosa Horse Club, and his excellent “voice made for radio” could be heard announcing at the shows. After their girls were grown, he and Bonnie retired to Ocala, Florida, and continued competing in combined driving events for a number of years. He is well-loved and will truly be missed. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, daughters Sara, Jennifer, Heidi (Kurt), grandsons Matthew and Wilem, brothers Marty and Marc (Helen), and many nieces and nephews.