Community Grieves for Late Principal on Online Memory Book

The grieving Thomas Wootton High School community is sharing memories of the late principal, Michael Doran, on a newly created online memory book.

One parent said she was heartbroken at the community’s loss, while others fondly remembered his smile, his generous spirit, and his dedication to students.

The Rockville school’s Parent Student Teacher Association created the Dr. Doran Memory Book as a platform for the community to share their thoughts following his sudden death on Wednesday at his Bethesda home.

The high school’s website said, “We would like for the entire Wootton community to join us on Friday, Aug. 21, at 6 p.m. for a Celebration of Life for Dr. Michael Doran. The service will take place on Wootton’s stadium from 6 to 8 p.m.”

A tweet from the senior class urged followers to wear red Wootton colors at the memorial.

SEE ALSO:

• Thomas Wootton School Principal Found Dead
• Wootton Students, Alumni Remember Principal Doran
• Principal Michael Doran’s Life, Legacy to be Celebrated Aug. 21

Doran had been an educator for 40 years, and worked in Montgomery schools for 18 years. For the past 12 years he had led Wootton high school, recently named by Newsweek as one of the top public high schools in America for 2015.

Heather Wright, Wootton parent, wrote on the Memory Book that the last time she saw Doran she told him, “You are a good man.”

“So often we don’t get to say “the last thing” to people when they pass suddenly; I am at peace with this,” Wright wrote. “His shoes will likely be impossible to fill. Rest in peace.”

Recent Wootton graduate Kelly Chen said Doran helped her cope with the loss of a tough tennis match when he filled in for the coach.

“He reminded me that this one match should not define who I was as a person or player, and that my time would come. And he was right,” Chen wrote. “Dr. Doran never failed to brighten up the courts or the school.”

Kally Panagos, Wootton parent, offered her sympathy to Doran’s family, and remember how he carved time out of his birthday to root for the school’s ice hockey team during the 2014 state championship.

“Without hesitation he delayed his weekend plans to cheer on his team and came to the game with his daughter, Emma. As he predicted, the team won,” Panagos wrote. “As he came to the glass to congratulate the players, the team lead the entire student section in the singing of “Happy Birthday” to their beloved Dr. Doran. He told me later that moment was very special to him. He was an incredible principal who lead the school with humor, compassion and love.”

»Photo of Dr. Michael Doran, courtesy of Wootton Seniors via Twitter