Douglass Myers Everhart

Dr. Douglass Myers Everhart of Lexington, NC, passed peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, November 5, 2023. Born in Davidson County on September 9, 1945, he is preceded in death by his father, Henry Everhart, mother Nannie Myers Everhart, and sister, Henrietta Carpenter. He is survived by two nephews, Paul Carpenter Jr. and Hank Carpenter; many cousins including Jonathan DeLapp, Robert DeLapp, Joann Everhart, Gaynelle Link, and Jason Thomason; Eugene Norton, a former student who was like a son; former student and friend Michael Rebello; and longtime friends he cherished Donna Lester and Kathy Hunt. Cremation will be provided by Davidson Funeral Home of Lexington. At Douglass’s request, there will be no formal visitation or service.

Growing up he was an active member of Davidson County 4-H and worked alongside his father in his company Davidson Supply in Lexington. Summers were spent working on the family farm. His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic and the importance of academics.

He graduated from the class of 1963 at Lexington High School. He began training as an actor while at Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and English-Dramatic Art in 1967. He also started taking dance classes to help with stage movements. He joined the Hickory Ballet Company and performed in North and South Carolina, at the same time performing in Florida with the Asolo Theatre Festival.

Due to a football injury from high school, he was forced to curtail dance activities for a while and was awarded a fellowship for advanced study at the Yale University School of Drama and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1970. While he participated in many performances with the Yale Repertory Theater alongside classmates Henry Winkler, Jill Eikenberry, and David Ackroyd, among others, he also performed with the New Haven Free Theatre, where only he, Henry Winkler, and one other Yale performer were accepted.

After graduating, he moved more seriously into dance with a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre School and Ballet Arts – Studio 57 in New York. He also worked at the Metropolitan Opera as a supernumerary in many opera and ballet productions including The Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. It was there that he received an offer to go to France and work with the esteemed Les Ballets de Marseille de Roland Petit, which he joined in 1971. He toured France, Germany, Finland, Italy, and the Soviet Union, including a tour as part of an opening act for the British band Pink Floyd. While in Europe he also danced with Le Grand Ballet de Geneve in Switzerland and Ballet Classique de France. He worked for some time with the Chambre de Commerce National de France, teaching English for various industrial accounts.

He studied acting with Stella Adler, Stacey Keach, Larry Arrick, Mildred Dunnock, Kenneth Haigh, Robert Lewis, Paul Sills, and Stanley Rosenberg. He studied voice with William Bolcom, Majorie Phillips, Elizabeth Smith, and Joan Langue. He studied dance with Louis Nunnery, Vitale Fokine, and Carmen de Lavallade.

Upon his return to the United States, he established the Douglass Everhart School of Ballet in Lexington. In the mid and late 80s, Douglass directed plays for the city’s local theatre group in Lexington. He taught for several years until he was asked to form the Theatre Department at Guilford County’s first magnet school Southwest Guilford High School. He taught theatre and debate there for four years. It was during this time that he began directing the theatre program at the NC Governor’s School at Salem College. He directed the summer program there for ten years. He then began teaching French, English, and theatre at West Davidson High School, and retired from South Davidson High School after teaching theatre and English.

In 2002, Douglass received his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s School of Education in Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations with a specialization in Curriculum and Teaching.

In 2015 he was appointed director of theatre by the Board of Governors of the Governor’s Schools and the State Department of Public Instruction. He led the drama department at Governor’s School West during the summer program for gifted high school students. He taught drama and debate at the Guilford County Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities at Southwest High School.

While teaching, he also worked the land at his family’s 120-acre farm and continued long after his retirement, until just a few years ago.

He supported veterans through Wounded Warriors. He loved dogs and left behind two Australian Dingos named Jack and Julie.

We thank the staff from Home Instead and Hospice of Davidson County for their compassionate care in his final months.

Douglass was extremely funny, charismatic, smart, multi-talented, and just a little on the eccentric side. He was well-spoken, well-traveled, well-read, and well-dressed. He was reminded by a teacher once that you should “never forget where you came from, for when everyone else has forgotten you, the people back home will remember.” We remember you, Douglass. We love you, and we always will.

The staff at Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel is honored to be serving the Everhart family during this difficult time.

Online condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net