Douglass Lee Capogrossi

Douglass Lee Capogrossi passed away on December 19, 2025, at the age of 79, surrounded by family.

Doug was born in 1946 in Ithaca, New York, the third of five children. He attended Ithaca High School, where he played football and excelled on the wrestling team. A strong student, he attended Cornell University, where he made the Dean’s List and graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He was a member of the Cornell wrestling team and maintained a lifelong interest in wrestling, later coaching high school wrestlers. During college, Doug married Candace, his former wife, with whom he shared his two oldest children.

Doug dedicated his career to community service and education. He was a lifelong learner, earning his master’s degree in education administration from Cornell in 1974 and returning to earn his doctoral degree in adult and continuing education in 1994. Early in his career, he taught adolescents, including those with social and emotional challenges. While living in California during the late 1970s and 1980s, Doug worked for nonprofit organizations, founded American Builders, a licensed general contracting firm, and created a housing and resource center for unhoused migrant farm workers.

While in California, Doug fell in love with and married Fely, his wife and life partner of nearly 40 years. Doug and Fely moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1994, where they laid down roots and called home for the next 26 years. Doug worked in higher education with a focus on nontraditional and distance education for midcareer students. In 2002, Doug founded Akamai University in Hilo, Hawaii, with the mission of advancing higher education for the betterment of the human condition and sustainability of the planet. He served as president of Akamai until 2021, when he retired and was named President Emeritus. Through Akamai, Doug worked with students and educators from across the globe. His commitment to education for all led him to develop curriculum for and teach life-skills courses to adult inmates at the Hawaii Department of Corrections. Over his lifetime, Doug traveled extensively, visiting 49 of the U.S. states and many other countries. On weekends, he could often be found at the local Hilo farmer’s market or catching up on an episode of one of his favorite detective shows like NCIS. In retirement, Doug and Fely moved to Everett, Washington, to be closer to their youngest daughter and her family.

Doug treated everyone he met with compassion and respect, regardless of background—from political leaders to the incarcerated and unhoused. He will be remembered for his quick mind, strong work ethic, kind heart, love of the outdoors, and deep Christian faith.

Doug is survived by his wife, Fely; his five children, Kristy, Jonathan, Pamela, Michael, and Angela; his eight beloved grandchildren; his siblings, Theodore (Ted) and Anne; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends, and former students. He was predeceased by his parents, Columbo Capogrossi and Anne Belous, and by his older brothers, Albert and Joseph.

Doug’s family and close friends will gather in Everett in late January for a private ceremony to honor his life.