“Doug, obviously out of the corner of his eyes, saw the tree coming over and told me to run, according to a witness, pushed me out of the way,” said his wife, Linda.
ZIONSVILLE, Indiana — It was supposed to be a celebration for a Zionsville man’s 77th birthday — a weekend getaway in South Bend looking at cars.
“We were doing a car show for his 77th birthday, went to the Studebaker car museum during the day and then going to an actual car show on Saturday,” said Linda Pendleton.
Doug Pendleton’s birthday celebration ended with tragedy. During their visit, a tree came crashing down killing him instantly.
“Doug, obviously out of the corner of his eyes, saw the tree coming over and told me to run, according to a witness, pushed me out of the way,” Linda said.
His instinct helped save his wife’s life, but not without any injury.
“I have a broken neck. I have a total of five cervical fractures. Some have been fused. I have a crack sternum and a lot of bruises up and down my body, and I am a very fortunate person,” Linda said.
She’s now without the love of her life.
Doug was a car fanatic and a wine lover known in Zionsville as “The Wine Guy.” They owned a wine store called Grapevine Cottage.
“One of the things we have always done is write wine reviews,” said Linda.
This wasn’t just a business for him, but a dream poured into every bottle.
His wife said he loved wine and sharing it with others, that’s what led him to opening up Grapevine Cottage in Zionsville — a community he grew to love.
“His customers were fun. It was just a happy place to be,” Linda said.
Now, Linda is left with the memories of her husband.
“We are a family that cooks, and we loved cooking. Doug and I both love cooking, and we loved making family dinners,” Linda said. “We ate at the dining room table, even on school nights, and it’s been fun to continue to cook as the family has grown.”
Linda survived, with scars and sorrow, and a lifetime of memories.
She also told 13News, the family plans to keep Grapevine Cottage open to continue honoring his legacy he left on the Zionsville community.