Douglas Lee Booth, 85, of Lucasville, passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Southern Ohio Medical Center. He was born on March 19, 1940, in New Boston, a son of the late Harold D. Booth and Edna Marcum Booth.
Doug was a 1958 Valley High School graduate, and he earned a Bachelor of Education Degree from Ohio University, attended San Diego State University on a math scholarship, and earned a Master’s Degree from Xavier University. Doug began his teaching journey in 1960 at Valley and retired in 2000 with 40 years of service. He served as superintendent from 1984 until 2000 and then chose to continue his service to the staff and students in the Valley Local School District for four more years, working for one dollar per year until 2004.
Doug is survived by his wife of 57 years, Helen Sue ‘Susie’ Kline Booth, to whom he was married on August 10, 1968, at Central Church of Christ by Scott Rawlings. Susie and Doug enjoyed extensive world travels, hand in hand, and Susie looks forward to continuing their journey again in heaven. Their love and devotion to one another was the foundation of their existence and a model for all married couples.
During his many years in education at Valley, Doug was an elementary school teacher, high school math teacher, elementary and middle school principal, and superintendent. He coached football, basketball, and baseball. In all his years of coaching, he never had a losing season and he coached the varsity baseball teams to a two-year, 51-0 winning streak, a feat still unmatched today. Doug’s coaching career was crowned by the 1975 Valley Baseball team which went a perfect 28-0, en route to winning the AAA State Championships. He loved all his players like they were his own, and strived for all to have a fair chance in both academics and extracurricular activities.
His legacy will be echoed for years to come through the young men and women he coached and worked with and helped to mold into excellent parents, spouses, and pillars of their communities. He will be remembered for so much more than the years of service to Valley schools, the winning teams, and the facilities he helped to build.
In his youth, Doug worked at a New Boston pharmacy to fund his education, understanding its importance. Doug teamed up with his friend, Speaker Vern Riffe, to enable Valley to lead the way in securing monies from The State of Ohio for the building of new educational facilities for the district.
Doug was one of the founding members of Christ’s Community Church in Portsmouth and continued to worship there for the remainder of his life. He was a strong supporter of CCC Uganda, a ministry doing God’s work in Africa. He loved his Bengals and was a season ticket holder from their second season until the present. He enjoyed legendary marathon card games and loved his fishing trips to Ely, MN, with dear friends for decades. He made the last trip in 2023. He was a member of the Lucasville Masonic Lodge #465 F&AM, a 32nd Degree Mason, Kentucky Colonel, and member of the Valley Hall of Fame for the Board of Education as well as athletics. His desire for perfection in all that he did was only matched by his unwavering support and loyalty to his coworkers, students, friends, and family. Doug touched a multitude of lives through his generosity and selfless dedication to his school, community, church, and those he loved.
In addition to his beloved wife, Susie Kline Booth, Doug is survived by two sisters, Donna Sue Staggs of Minford, and Ruth Ann Brush of Portsmouth; sister-in-law, Ann Yerardi Frazier of Portsmouth; former brother-in-law, Tim Burton of Wheelersburg; two uncles, Paul Marcum and Dave (Alice) Marcum; nieces and nephews, Timothy (Lisa) Shephard, Philip (Theresa) Shephard, Julie Shephard, Jonathan (Haley) Burton, Anthony Yerardi, Andrew Yerardi, and their families;
A Celebration of Doug’s Life will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Christ’s Community Church with Scott Rawlings officiating. Friends will be received from 3 to 6 p.m. at the church.
The interment will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Memorial Burial Park. Friends are asked to gather at the Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to process to the cemetery.
Online condolences may be shared at RalphFScott.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Doug Booth Scholarship, in care of The Scioto Foundation, P.O Box 911, Portsmouth, OH 45662, and Christ’s Community Church, 2433-25th St., Portsmouth, OH 45662.
