Doug McConnell remembered: A personal reflection

 Photo by Shelly Lewis, MROSD

Henrietta J. Burroughs stands with Doug McConnell at Cooley Landing Park on April 19, 2013

                          

It's easy to be reflective when one hears about the death of a public personality, whom one knew.  The announcement on Thursday, January 15, 2026, of Doug McConnell's death brought back personal memories. I first heard of McConnell in the 1990s when I had a video production company.

At the time, my company reproduced copies of news shows, with the permission of local news stations, and sold them to the public.  Bay Area Backroads was a popular local show that McConnell hosted. The show referred their viewers, who were interested in buying segments or copies of the show, to my company for their purchases.

Twenty years later in 2013, I had a chance to meet and appear with McConnell in a video produced by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at Cooley Landing Park, a public park and nature preserve in East Palo Alto. You can see several photos from our meeting here.

It was an honor to appear in two Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District videos that were both narrated by McConnell. The first was called Room to Breathe, in which he interviews me and I appear in several places and the second video was called Midpen-A Bird's Eye View, where I appear briefly at the 00:50 sec. mark.

During our meeting at Cooley Landing Park, McConnell accepted a personal invitation to be on my television show, Talking with Henrietta. The show was widely viewed and became one of my most popular shows, with nearly 6,000 views. You can see an excerpt from the show called Traveling Many Roads.

McConnell was a very pleasant and personable person. It was easy to see why he was popular and well-liked. It's always a moving experience to hear about the death of someone with whom one has crossed paths—someone who left such an indelible mark.

Looking back at the videos brings back memories. Life moves on, yet the memories it leaves are captured and enhanced through photos and film. I am grateful, as I travel on my own personal journey, to have crossed paths with Doug McConnell, whose work will live on through the many videos that reflect his creativity and his remarkable legacy.

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