Plumbing 
Nancy Feely
U.S. Border Patrol agent Douglas Hatcher carries a box he used to gather and deliver meals to fellow Border Patrol agents. Hatcher served barbecue brisket meals to approximately 15 agents who were working on July 24. The meals were provided by the First United Methodist Church Fishers of Men Sunday School class.
U.S. Border Patrol agent Douglas Hatcher, 50, who died Monday at University Hospital in San Antonio as the result of an off-duty recreational accident, wore many hats: federal agent, volunteer, coach, and father, but the one that seems paramount from the outpouring of grief-borne messages from those who knew him best is that of devoted friend.
Hatcher, of Uvalde, was a supervisor at the Uvalde Station of the U.S. Border Patrol, which is part of the federal agency’s Del Rio Sector
He started his career in Carrizo Springs, then transferred to the Del Rio Sector, eventually making his way to the Uvalde Station.
A member of the Uvalde Morale Welfare and Rec organization, a volunteer group comprising Uvalde Station agents, he was a faithful supporter of their charity golf tournaments.
The group’s post on Facebook states Hatcher was three months from retirement at the time of his death.
Hatcher’s longtime neighbor and friend Betty Hilderbran, who watched Hatcher’s two sons grow up in their close-knit neighborhood, said Hatcher was heavily involved with and devoted to the local youth football league.
“He was a good father, a good man, and a good neighbor,” Hilderbran said. “He always had a smile.”
He coached youth football in Uvalde for several years starting around 2006 and was instrumental in helping to raise funds to fix the Roberts Lane home of the late Rosa Schulz, an elderly Uvalde woman in need of assistance, in 2019.
“He was a man who made friends wherever he went and was respected by his peers in law enforcement,” said Heather Stunkel, pet rescue Flights to Furever founder, Uvalde County employee, and wife of a USBP agent.
“He was a dear friend and his presence will be greatly missed by many. He had a kind heart and would do anything for friends,” Stunkel said, going on to express condolences for his family.
Other stories about Hatcher’s volunteerism have been dotting social media throughout the week.
First United Methodist Church member Nancy Feely shared a photo of Hatcher, in his U.S. Border Patrol uniform, carrying a box of to-go meals for co-workers who couldn’t attend the July 24 law enforcement appreciation barbecue dinner organized by the church’s Fishers of Men Sunday School class.
Feely said Hatcher delivered about 15 meals to USBP agents who were working that day.
The Uvalde Police Department, Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector pages on Facebook all posted tributes to Hatcher.
“Our deepest condolences to the entire Hatcher family,” said Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco. “May he rest in peace. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and all the United States Border Patrol agents. May God keep y’all strong and united through these difficult times.”
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