Engleka, Douglas Matthew
Douglas Matthew Engleka, age 51, passed away at his home in Venice, Florida on May 9, 2024, after his two-year battle with ALS.
While attending Miamisburg High School, Matt was recognized and awarded various honors for his achievements in soccer and baseball. In baseball he was All League, All Area, and All State. He attended Ohio University on a baseball scholarship and captained the OU baseball team. He majored in Sports Marketing and earned his Master's Degree in Sports Administration. He was an athletic Hall of Fame member at Miamisburg High School and Ohio University.
After college, Matt was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. When his career in professional baseball ended, he and two others formed the LEJ Sports Group, an Atlanta-based firm which specialized in creating and implementing national youth sports: Pitch, Hit and Run and Jr Home Run Derby for MLB, as well as other programs for the NBA, the WNBA, the Jr Olympics and the PGA.
Matt and his wife, Peg, also owned and operated Countryside Pet Estates in Milton, Georgia.
Because of their dedication to raising awareness and in finding a cure for ALS, Matt was selected to throw out the first pitch on Lou Gehrig Day (ALS) in 2023 at Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves.
He is survived by his wife, Peg, his brother, Lance and his wife, Rebecca and their children Conner, Cameron and Rachel and his parents, Tim and Karen. He will be missed by family and friends.
The meaningful memories and special relationships he developed throughout his life will live on.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to fund ALS research to find a cure for this dreaded disease @https://livelikelou.org.
A celebration of life will be held at Yankee Trace Golf Club on May 24th, 2024 from 4-7 p.m.