Douglas Leo Birrer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, went home to the Lord on October 24, 2025.
He was born on July 23, 1961, in Billings, Montana, the seventh child and sixth son of the late Joseph and Mabel Birrer, of Absarokee, MT. Douglas first attended grade school at Holy Rosary School in Billings, MT and completed grade school in Absarokee. In 1979, he graduated from Absarokee High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and track. Douglas was a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. He also figured prominently in the high school’s band. He was quite handy working on a nearby ranch and for his father at an automotive repair shop.
It was early on in Absarokee where Douglas developed his lifelong hobbies: fishing and bow hunting. He also had fun restoring old vehicles, especially his jeep.
Douglas enlisted in the U. S. Army soon after graduating from high school. He spent the majority of his three-year enlistment working at the Army’s 5th General Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany. Upon leaving the Army, he became a meat cutter, a profession he pursued for 40 years, mostly in Eastern Pennsylvania. For the last twenty-one years he
worked at Reading Specialty Meats, a small, but busy shop in Berwick, PA where he was the manager and quite a good businessman.
Douglas was a mentor to many, especially teens, who worked for him in Berwick. He was very firm with his employees, but he also offered them a shoulder to lean on. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and former employees in Berwick and Nescopeck as well as dozens of family members.
Douglas met his wife Celia Wagner twenty-six years ago and has clung to her dearly from day one. Douglas is also survived a son, Doug Birrer (Crystel) of Mahanoy City, granddaughters Kayla and Autumn; a sister, Beverly Bermes (John) of Billings, MT; brothers Eddy (TerryKay), Spokane, WA; Michael (Carolyn), Poplar, MT; John (Chun), Cumming, GA; and Dan (Karen), Parachute, CO.
He was preceded in death by his parents as well as his oldest brother, Nicholas.
Family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:00 am on November 3, 2025, at Heller Funeral Home, LLC, 633 E Third St, Nescopeck, followed by a memorial service at 11:00 am.
Douglas will be buried privately in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, PA.
Online messages of comfort may be sent to his family at condolences@HellerFuneralHomeLLC.com