Rockville Names Bridge After Beloved Wootton High School Principal

ROCKVILLE, MD — A three-lane bridge in Rockville will be named after Michael J. Doran, the former principal of Thomas S. Wootton High School who died suddenly at age 64 in 2015, Bethesda Magazine reports.

Doran was a beloved member of the community and the principal of the high school for 12 years, before he passed just a few weeks before classes started in August of 2015. He was an educator for 40 years, and worked in Montgomery schools for 18 years.

According to Bethesda Magazine, the Rockville City Council decided to dedicate the three-lane bridge on Wootton Parkway to Doran at the request of a Wootton graduate, Jon Glaser.

See Related: Thomas Wootton School Principal Found Dead; Wootton Students, Alumni Remember Principal Doran

Glaser said that since the bridge serves as a connection point, this symbolizes how Doran linked students, teachers, parents and the community.

“He went above and beyond to not only have a visible presence, but he took the time to talk with students individually and know everyone’s name,” Glaser said, according to Bethesda Magazine.

His wife, Kathy Lavinder, said Doran formed a genuine connection with everyone he met.

“That was not anything artificial or phony. Every single person he looked in the eyes felt that connection and felt that caring,” Lavinder said.

Doran was found deceased in his apartment due to a previously undetected heart condition. Students, staff and parents mourned Doran's loss, and shared memories of the beloved school leader on social media following the tragedy.

Students used hashtags #woottonstrong and #ripdrdoran filled with messages of sympathy, and thanks for Doran’s dedication on various social media platforms after his death.

A twitter account called Wootton Seniors tweeted, "It’s hard to loose someone who so many have looked up to. He was the best principal any of us have ever had. #ripdrdoran #woottonstrong."

Lavinder told Bethesda Magazine that she still goes to Wootton to do work involving the Dr. Michael J. Doran Scholarship, Inc., which was established by Doran's family in April 2016 to provide financial assistance to graduates of Wootton.

“It will be something that touches my heart every time I see it,” Lavinder said of the bridge.

Photo: Montgomery County Public Schools