Principal Michael Doran's Life, Legacy to be Celebrated Aug. 21

Incoming seniors at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville are urging students and residents to turn out for a celebration of life service Friday night for their beloved principal who died Wednesday.

Dr. Michael Doran, 64, was found dead Wednesday morning at his Bethesda apartment.

Students and alumni shared memories of the beloved school leader on social media. The hashtags #woottonstrong and #ripdrdoran filled with messages of sympathy, and thanks for Doran’s dedication.

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

Rockville Patch reader Charlotte Garvey recalled Doran as a “remarkable, caring educator who knew the names of my three kids AND knew who I was. It sounds crazy in a school of more than 2,000, but that was the norm for him. Teenagers can spot a phony from a thousand miles away, and Dr. D was the antithesis of that. He didn’t hide in his office or pronounce from on high. Soccer practices, after-school badminton club, lunchroom, halls of the school, vigils for students lost....no matter what or where, Michael Doran was always there.”

Counselors will be on hand at the school again Friday to support students, and the system will also have support available for school employees.

»How will you remember Principal Michael Doran? Tell us in comments below.

Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill and Board Vice President Michael Durso said in a statement about Doran’s death that he was a shining example of what a school leader should be and was an unapologetic advocate for his students.

“His vision and strong commitment, combined with a wonderful sense of empathy and a sharp wit, made him a beloved member of the Wootton community and every community in which he worked throughout his career,” the board members said. “As we grieve his death today, we also remember the great work he did for students throughout his career and know that his legacy will live on for generations to come.”

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

In June, when two recent school graduates died in a car accident after an underage drinking party, Doran spoke to the crowd of teens who gathered at the crash site. He opened the school to students and families to help the community cope with the tragedy, and posted information on the school website about talking to children about death and alcohol use.

“I love you all,” Doran told the assembled teens at the vigil.

»Photo of Dr. Michael Doran, courtesy of MCPS