Thruston Stewart Doan

THRUSTON STEWART DOAN, 52, of Little Rock, Ark., was born on Feb. 18, 1960 and passed away suddenly on May 10, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Leslie Smith Doan; two daughters, Lauren Grace and Sara Elizabeth; his parents, Bill and Janice Doan of Cynthiana, Kentucky; sister, Karen Gunther and husband, Michael of Parker, Colorado; nephews, Brett and William Gunther of Parker, Colorado; uncle, Lynn J. Baxter of Lexington, Kentucky; cousins, Diane Busby and husband, Charles of Lexington, Kentucky, Amy McKinney and husband, Marty of Falmouth, Kentucky and Karri Kearns Rider of Walton, Kentucky, Lynn McMullin and husband, Kyle, Kelli Simpson and husband, Scott, Aryn and Morgan McKinney and Joe Rider. He is also survived by his in-laws, Charles and Sonia Smith of Little Rock, Ark.; sister-in-law, Lori Smith Canon and husband, James; brother-in-law, Chuck Smith and wife, Cyndi; nieces, Lyndsey Rogers and husband, Aron, Lacey Riciano and husband, Terry, and Lucy, Maggie, and Abby Smith. He was also adored by other cousins, Bella, Jackson, Dawson, and other countless friends. He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Doan, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Kearns; two uncles Clarence Doan Jr. (Buck) and Joe Earl Kearns; and an aunt, Nancy Doan Baxter. Thruston graduated from Harrison County High School in 1978 and studied Agriculture Communications at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of FarmHouse Fraternity. He was a lifelong fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and was ecstatic when UK won the 2012 NCAA Basketball Championship this year. He loved traveling with his family and was lucky enough to go to Hawaii with his wife and two daughters in January 2012. He was Senior Editor at Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. and also worked as an Agriculture Journalist for The National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB). For more than 30 years, this Kentucky native covered agricultural news for a variety of media, beginning with radio. He was considered the premier cotton and rice journalist in the nation but expanded his horizons to master the difficult policy questions that USDA and Congress grapple with. He was in Washington regularly to interview policymakers and develop his wide range of contacts. Stewart was president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in 1998, and continued his involvement by serving on committees and as a stringer for the NAFB News Service. NAFB named him its 2006 national Farm Broadcaster of the Year when he was Delta Regional Farm Director of the Yancey Ag Network/Clear Channel Communications in, Little Rock. He has been recognized by the National Cotton Council, the USA Rice Federation and the Arkansas Farm Bureau for his reporting on a wide range of agricultural policy issues. In his work, he had the opportunity to meet and interview many national and international leaders, including Presidents Obama and Clinton, Governors Beebe and Huckabee, and Fidel Castro. Stewart was an active member of FaithSpring United Methodist Church in Little Rock and leader in the Personnel Team. Services are today, Tuesday, at 4 p.m. at FaithSpring Church-A United Methodist Congregation, 501 South Bowman, Little Rock, officiated by Rev. Brock Patterson. Graveside service and burial will follow at Martin Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Stewart Doan's Children's College Fund, c/o People's Bank, 20409 Arch Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72206. The Doan family would like to thank family and friends who have given so much love and support. A memorial service will also be held on Saturday, May 26 at 3 p.m. at The First United Methodist Church in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501) 224-2200. Stewart's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.