Doug Pew
Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida

Doug Pew. Photo via Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida, Facebook.
 
By Aaron Kinchen

The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida lost a pioneer whose early efforts cemented the ensemble as a fixture in the gay cultural life of South Florida. The longtime benefactor, Doug Pew, died Sept. 17 after battling a long illness.

Pew, a contract lawyer with a world class-career, and husband, Don Croxton, donated the money that ushered the chorus into existence and continued their generosity for the next 13 years as major donors. After he filed the nonprofit’s articles of incorporation, Pew was named the first Board Chair. Many Chorus members cite Pew’s clarity of purpose as his greatest strength while he helmed the seminal GMCSF Board of Directors.

Croxton and Pew met in a St. Louis gay bar in 1969, introduced by the bartender. In the 1980s, Pew’s career brought them to suburban Connecticut, where they stayed until they moved to Florida in 2000. The couple were avid travelers.

“We’d been almost everywhere … twice!” Croxton said. “Not Antarctica, though.” They’d been together for 54 years.