For 25 years, he served in quiet excellence as Harris County Engineer. He was a man who preferred to stay in the background while others claimed the limelight. Instead, his reward came in the satisfaction in making sure the work of the county was done well, and done the right way. Buddy, as he was known to family and friends, took the job as the county's top engineer in 1961 at a time when the Houston area was on the cusp of transforming itself from a large small town to a player on the world stage. Most notable among Buddy's many achievements was overseeing the construction of the Harris County Domed Stadium, also known as The Astrodome, which was completed in 1965. Years later in an interview, Doss spoke of his initial concern about the project, saying "I remember staring at a giant hole in the ground filling with water where the Astrodome was going to be built, and wondering if the public would give us enough money to build it." That hole was on a piece of land near where, ironically, almost 20 years earlier, Buddy had met the woman who would become the love of his life. In 1943, while home on leave from service with the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, Buddy attended a party for servicemen at The Plantation dancehall on South Main. Quite the dancer, Buddy was looking for a partner. But when his sister introduced him to the woman in the red dress Naomi Simpson Buddy got more than a dance partner. He found his life partner. They married in 1948, and had three sons: Parr, Clifford, and Duncan. This August would have been Buddy and Naomi's 58th wedding anniversary. A native Houstonian, Buddy was proud of having been raised in The Heights, where he attended Harvard Elementary, Hamilton Jr. High, and Reagan Sr. High. After graduation in 1939, he enrolled at Texas A&M, received his cadet boots and then enlisted in the Army. Following the war, Buddy received his Civil Engineering degree from the University of Houston, graduating in 1948. That same year, Buddy went to work for the Harris County Engineering Department where he obtained registration as a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor and a Licensed Professional Engineer. Buddy completed 38 years of civil service at Harris County when he retired in 1986. By then his name was on almost every Harris county building. Doss Park, at Frick Rd. and T.C. Jester, is named in his honor. He was past president of the Houston Engineering and Scientific Society. In 1980, he was named Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He was honored as a "Distinguished Alumni" by UH in 1987. In 1975, as county officials were announcing that Buddy had been given a pay raise, Commissioner Jim Fonteno summed up the sentiments of both his Democratic and Republican colleagues by saying that "I think we are fortunate in Harris County to have the best County Engineer in the state of Texas Mr. Dick Doss." But more than his work and his awards, Buddy was proudest of his family and his friends whom he entertained at the bay house in San Leon. Buddy could put on his khakis and enjoy barbeques, fishing, and boating. After retiring, he developed a knack for gardening tomatoes, wood-working and walking the neighborhood. Buddy left this world on March 16, 2007. He was born May 29, 1922 to Eugene R. and Ruth Parr Doss. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Ruth J. Young; and his grandson, Eban Doss. He is survived by his wife, Naomi, and their sons: R. Parr Doss, and his wife Giselle; Clifford Doss and his wife Linda, and Duncan Doss and his wife Susan. His surviving grandchildren include Dylan Doss, Tanya Kizer, Clifford Doss Jr., Charles Doss, and Connor Doss. He is also survived by his sister, Grace Burris.