Henry Clay Doster, 77, of Panama City, FL, passed away on February 15, 2022. He was born on December 13, 1944 in Washington, D.C. at the former Columbia Hospital for Women and is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Jennifer Ruth Jones Doster; sister, Marianne Johnson of Dayton, OH; son, Henry Jared Doster of Panama City, FL; son, Jason Clay Doster of Phoenix, AZ (wife, Rachel Hovis Doster and daughters, Hannah Marie Doster, Charlotte Elaine Doster, Noelle Aurelia Doster); daughter, Jessica Ruth Bojic of Chicago, IL (sons, Sava Henry Bojic and Luka Branko Bojic).

Henry grew up in and around the Baltimore area and graduated from Bel Air High School in 1962, during which time he won 3rd place in high jump at the annual Maryland State Track & Field Championship. Upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the Rakkasans (187th Infantry Regiment) of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Fort Campbell, KY.

From 1966-68, after his service in the Army, he attended the former Harford Junior College in Bel Air, which he was enormously grateful to attend given that he was a "straight D" student in high school. Henry applied himself incessantly to his studies, hoping to overcome his past educational deficiencies; he succeeded in doing so by receiving the award of Best All Around Student from the school's administration, which he considered to be the greatest academic achievement of his life. He also served as President of the Student Government Association, where he was known as a pioneering leader that reshaped the function and influence of the school's SGA.

From 1968-71, he attended The Florida State University, where he met Jenny. Every time he was on campus with his children, he never failed to stop and point at the exact square of concrete where they met outside the FSU School of Business building. They married on October 23, 1971 in Panama City. Henry and Jenny were both life partners and business partners; to the end of his life, Henry considered his marriage to Jenny to be the source of his earthly happiness.

After graduating with an M.B.A in 1971, he was the Assistant Dean at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY. After a year in New York, the young couple moved to Panama City and opened Craftsmen's Cove in 1973 (a small retail arts and crafts spot that was well known in the area) first on Harrison Ave then relocated to the Panama City Mall as an original lessee, and later expanded to a second location on Panama City Beach in 1986. While owner and operator of Craftsmen's Cove and Art & Hobby Mart, Henry was elected, without running for the position, as President of the Panama City Mall Merchants Association in 1977, serving for three terms. Further, he served as Master of the Acme Masonic Lodge #222 F&AM in 1981.

After nearly 20 years in business, Henry refocused his time and creativity on his greatest intellectual passions: education and leadership development. In 1986, he earned his Doctorate from FSU in Higher Education Administration. In his work as an educator he was an adjunct professor at Gulf Coast State College, Troy State University, The Florida State University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, then later ran the education program for the Florida Park Service District 1 where he was the Business Manager. His passion for leadership development led to the creation of his  Leadership for Life  program and  Master Manager Toolbox  (later renamed Synergistic Leadership and Leaderistics). This program helped shape and inspire leaders throughout Bay County and the State of Florida and was used by the Panama City Police Department, Anchorage Children's Home, Bay Medical Center, the City of Tallahassee, Pinellas County parks department, Florida Institute for Park Personnel, and the Florida Park Service, where all who participated learned how to "  Work With and Through Each Other To Identify and Achieve Common Goals." 

Family time around the Panama City area was spent sailing in the bay to Shell Island, canoeing down the Econfina, swimming in Wakulla Springs, and camping in state parks. Family vacations in the Northeast Georgia Mountains were spent hiking to waterfalls, whitewater rafting, and enjoying the Sky Valley Resort.

Henry's singular greatest desire was to be a good and faithful servant of the Lord; as he passed from this world into the next, the Lord told him that he had succeeded in this.

Those desiring may make memorial donations to the Masonic Home of Florida (  https://masonichomefl.com/giving/  ).