Humanist Heroes through the Centuries, 1600's to the Present: Spinoza to Hawking, including Ingersoll and Dietrich, Volume one of three (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781512131680)

Rev. Douglas Kenneth Peary was born November 14, 1942 and raised on a potato farm in Washburn, Maine, by wonderful, loving, parents, Kenneth and Dorothy. They were Conservative Baptist Christians. He Married Joyce Lee Martin in 1972. Kenneth died of Cancer in 1974. Rev. Peary and Joyce had Children Brett and Brita in 1977 and 1980. He attended Starr King School For Religious Leadership, in Berkeley, California, a Unitarian Universalist School, receiving a Master of Divinity degree. Rev. Peary was ordained as a (UU) Minister in Oakland, in 1979 and certified as a Humanist Celebrant (Minister) the following year. He became a Federal Labor investigator with the National Labor Relations Board, in Oakland and in Hartford, CT, for 30 years. Rev. Peary studied, wrote about and spoke about, the lives and beliefs of Scientists, Philosophers, Poets, Comedians and others. He became a founding member of "Humanists of Connecticut" in 1989. He was VP for many years and has been President. Joyce died of Cancer in 1996. In 2004 Rev. Peary published a book of his presentations, titled, "Humanist Heroes," and republished it in 2013 for Teens to Senior Citizens." The book has been quoted on the Internet from Countries on three Continents around the World. He has completed, and published, a second book in 2013, titled, "Humanist Heroes and More, for Teenagers, Young Adults, and other new skeptics." His sister Carolyn died of Cancer in 2004. He has seen many people die, in horrific pain, from many diseases, or terrible dementia. Rev. Peary retired from the Government on 3/31/10. He is active in the UU Church in Meriden, Connecticut, and has been (2012-2013) Moderator (President) of the Church. Rev. Peary and Joyce's, son Brett is a Monbusho Scholar, graduate, from Kyoto University, and is working in Kyoto, Japan. Their daughter Brita in married to Devin Chambers and they are Respiratory Therapists at Hartford Hospital, in Connecticut. Brita has a stepson Quinten, a stepdaughter, Renee, and they have a son Jayse (similar to Joyce). Rev. Peary married Gabriella, a multilingual, private School Principal and educator in 2008, after 8 years together. They both speak at UU Churches or Humanist groups throughout New England, The Eastern Townships of Quebec Province, Canada, and St. John, The U.S. Virgin Islands. Rev. Peary is a member of "Compassion and Choices," to aid in passage of laws for the Right of dying people to die with dignity in Connecticut.