“The morning of July 3 2016, started out like most days riding my bike in preparation for an upcoming 65 mile bike ride in September. The ride was going well with no apparent health issues looming at the time. I got home and (as usual) we were rushing to get ready for church. After taking a shower I noticed I was having trouble catching my breath, and the sweating was only getting worse. My family and I made it to church and less than 5 minutes into mass I told my wife we needed to go, as the sweating and shortness of breath persisted. My last memory was lying down on the church steps waiting for my wife to pull the car around. My daughter said I was grabbing my chest and my wife said I told her to take me to the emergency room.

We made it to the ER and moments later I collapsed on the waiting room floor. That is when Dr. Alicia Hart and the hospital staff at Corpus Christi Medical Center– Doctor’s Regional promptly began CPR. They performed CPR for approximately 40 minutes. They were able to get my heart stabilized and install 2 stents to regain the blood flow to the heart. Once the heart had blood flow, the doctors realized the heart was too fatigued to pump enough to support life. They then tried 2 different heart pumps. The second pump was the Impella CP. It allowed my heart to rest long enough to start beating on its own.”

Our beloved Douglas “Doug” Commons left our earthly presence on October 25, 2019 after experiencing abrupt loss of his heart functions. While working out, Doug began to feel ill which prompted him to leave immediately and head to the emergency room. No one could ever be prepared for the news that would follow. Although we were filled with many emotions, we are all thankful that we were given three years to enjoy him on earth.

RTFC said their final good-bye on October 30, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Laura, son and daughter in law, Sean and Meagan, daughter and son in law, Madeline and Clifton, grandsons, Emmett, Lane and Jaxon and his parents Christopher and Valerie; who will all forever be a part of the RTFC family.