Otis Doan, Jr

Longtime Harlan County attorney Otis "Mike " Doan, Jr 67 of Cawood, KY passed away suddenly on June 23, 2023 at the Harlan ARH.

I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.

2 TIMOTHY 4:7

OTIS DOAN, JR WAS BORN MAY 12, 1956 IN HARLAN, KENTUCKY TO OTIS AND HELEN DOAN. HARLAN COUNTY WAS MORE THAN HOME TO OTIS, IT WAS WHERE HE CHOSE TO INVEST HIS LIFE THROUGH HIS WORK AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. HIS ONLY HOBBY WAS SPENDING TIME ON THE FARM.

OTIS LOVED THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY AND THE PEOPLE OF HARLAN COUNTY.   HE RARELY MET A STRANGER AND ONCE HE MET YOU HE NEVER CONSIDERED YOU A STRANGER AGAIN.  HIS LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HARLAN COUNTY WAS DEMONSTRATED EVERYDAY THROUGH HIS WORK AS AN ATTORNEY. OTIS WAS DEDICATED TO THE REPRESENTATION OF HIS CLIENT REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF LEGAL BATTLE THEY WERE IN. 

OTIS GRADUATED FROM CAWOOD HIGH SCHOOL THEN CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AT UNION COLLEGE WHERE HE SERVED AS STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. HE ADVANCED HIS EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF LAW WHERE HE SERVED AS CLASS PRESIDENT. UPON RECEIVING HIS JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE IN LAW, HE RETURNED TO HARLAN KENTUCKY AND “SET UP” HIS LAW PRACTICE IN THE SAME BUILDING WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS WORK UNTIL HIS DEATH.

OTIS WAS A MEMBER OF THE KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATON AS WELL AS THE HARLAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCATION. HE WAS A MEMBER OF 819 HOWARD LODGE.  OTIS WAS A MEMBER OF HARLAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH WHERE HE SERVED AS A DEACON. WHILE HIS FAVORITE TIME OF SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP WAS WITH HIS SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILY LED BY JOHN LUTTRELL HE GREATLY ENJOYED JOINING IN SINGING DURING PRAISE AND WORSHIP OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

OTIS IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE LOIS MCNEW DOAN. HIS CHILDREN AMANDA DOAN SHEPHERD (SCOTT) OF LEXINGTON, KY AND ELIZABETH DOAN HARPER (BRYAN) OF CUMMING, GA. HIS GRANDCHILDREN BRAYDEN SHEPHERD; ABBY HARPER; GRACE SHEPHERD; COLLIN HARPER AND IAN HARPER. 

HIS BROTHERS FRANK DOAN (MERITA) OF HARLAN, KY AND DENNIS DOAN (PAM) OF KNOXVILLE TN; A SISTER BETTY SUE WAKE (ERIC) OF BRENTWOOD, TN. AND BROTHER-IN-LAW DAVID MCNEW OF WISE, VA. AND A HOST OF NIECES AND NEPHEWS. HIS CLOSE FRIENDS CARL MOODY AND RICK BURKHART.

Funeral services will be 12:00 pm Friday, June 30 at the Harlan Christian Church, 130 S. 1st Street, Harlan, KY 40831 with Pastor David Johnson and Mrs. Karen Greene Blondell presiding over the services.

Burial will follow in the Resthaven Cemetery at Keith, KY. Masonic Rites will be observed by Howard Lodge 819 F & AM.

Pallbearers will be Judge Scott Lisenbee, David McNew, Rick Burkhart, Scott Shepherd, Bryan Harper, Sean Johnson and Nick Zimmerman.

Honorary Pallbearers will be the Harlan Christian Church Men's Fellowship Group.

Visitation will be 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Thursday, June 29, 2023 at the Harlan Center, 201 S. Main Street, Harlan, KY 40831 and after 11:00 Friday, June 30 until the funeral hour at the Church.

The family wishes that memorials be made to Harlan Christian Church, Nursery Remodel, 130 South First St. Harlan, KY 40831 ~ Shriners Hospitals for Children, PO Box 947765, Atlanta, GA 30394  ~ KORE Academy, 3150 Tates Creek Road, Lexington, KY 40502 in memory of Otis.

Please feel free to leave a condolence or memory at www.aljfh.c om

Anderson - Laws & Jones Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Otis Doan, Jr.