Irishman and Thomas S. Wootton High School Principal Michael Doran would typically end his speeches at the school’s annual graduation ceremony with an Irish blessing.
On Friday evening, at a memorial service for Doran after his death Wednesday, the Wootton community joined in unison to offer one for him:
“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door,” read the more than 3,000 students, former students, staff, school system officials and family members who gathered at Wootton’s athletic stadium.
They remembered Doran as witty, sharp, competitive and serious about guiding the Rockville school of almost 2,200 students to the highest possible level.
“Remember, Dr. Doran didn’t want us to be a good school. He didn’t want us to be a great school. He wanted us to be the best school,” remembered Wootton teacher Randy Alton.
His death, due apparently to natural causes in his Bethesda condo, left many at one of the county’s highest-performing high schools mourning a beloved figure.
Doran, 64, had been principal at Wootton since 2003, coming from the principal job at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda. Those close to him said he had no intention of retiring any time soon.
Thomas S. Wootton High School held a "Celebration of Life" Friday after Principal Michael Doran died this week. Photos by Aaron Kraut
Staff and students on Friday described him as a constant presence in the hallways, at sporting events, musical performances and – to the dismay of some – in the cafeteria during lunch.
“His ability to walk through the cafeteria here at Wootton and take French fries from children, and eat those said French fries, was genius,” said former Wootton administrator Edward Owusu, “because he never brought a lunch.”
In meetings with other high school principals in the county, Doran would wear a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip-flops, “boldly suggesting we had missed the dress memo for the meeting,” remembered Walt Whitman High School Principal Alan Goodwin.
After Wootton’s boys’ soccer team won the Class 4A state title in 2012, Doran – a soccer player himself growing up – was among the first to greet coach Doug Schuessler.
“He came hustling across the field to me and the first words out of his mouth were, ‘I thought there were a few mistakes you made coaching,’” Schuessler said. “And then he broke out in that laughter and gave me a big hug and said, ‘Just kidding.’ I don’t think he was kidding.”
To many students, Doran’s personality was what made their high school experience unique.
“He was the spark that made the Wootton community family,” said rising senior Langston Thomas. “From our highest to our lowest moments, Dr. Doran was always there, to love, inspire, push us with the fiery presence that lit every room he entered.”
Perhaps at no time was that more evident than in June, when two Wootton students were killed in a car crash in North Potomac and another was seriously injured.
At a vigil at the site of the crash, Doran told students, “I love you all.”
Walt Whitman High School Principal Alan Goodwin addresses a memorial service for former Thomas S. Wootton High School Principal Michael Doran Friday at the school.
Wootton High School rising seniors Julia Fanzeres and Jacqueline Kempa sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" Friday at a memorial service for Principal Michael Doran.
Michelle Karlsberg, a rising sophomore, said she first met Doran years before she got to Wootton because of her older brother who was already at the school.
She said she thought of Doran as a superhero because he was everywhere.
“Every time I saw him, whether I was a football game or a theater performance, he told me more about the school and together we would count down the years until I would be able to come” Karlsberg said. “As I finally got to Wootton, I realized my first impression really was right. Dr. Doran really was a superhero.”
Kimberly Boldon, a former assistant principal who has taken over as Wootton’s acting principal before school starts Aug. 31, said Doran taught her about the importance of building relationships.
Doran would often end emails with the message, “No significant learning can happen without a significant relationship.”
“I am so relieved that he has shared his greatness with us,” said Boldon, who then asked the students in attendance to “live up to that greatness.”
“Anything less than that would not do justice to such a great man,” Boldon said.
