Beloved Principal of Wootton High School Dies

Staff at the Rockville high school were made aware of news Wednesday morning, prompting an outpouring of condolences from community

By Aaron Kraut and Andrew Metcalf

Principal Michael Doran ViaThomas S. Wootton High School

Updated at 4:40 p.m. – Michael Doran, who had been the principal at Thomas S. Wootton High School for the past 12 years, has died, according to staff at the Rockville school.

An outpouring of condolence messages on Twitter and other social media began around noon Wednesday. Assistant Principal Kimberly Boldon said staff was informed of Doran’s death Wednesday morning.

“Someone said to me, ‘He was Wootton,’ and that’s very true,” Boldon said. “The faculty, the teachers, the students just loved him. He was truly a beloved person.”

Larry Bowers, interim superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), wrote in a letter to the Wootton community that Doran, 64, was found unresponsive Wednesday morning in his Bethesda apartment and declared dead shortly after. Bowers wrote that a cause of death has not been determined.

The school system is preparing to offer counseling services to students at the school. The 2015-2016 school year will start Aug. 31.

Doran had been an employee in MCPS for 18 years and a principal at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, according to Bowers. Doran took over Wootton, a school of more than 2,300 students, in 2003.

"This news is shocking to all of us who have known and worked with Dr. Doran during his long, distinguished career in education," Bowers wrote. "His boundless energy, engaging wit, and unwavering commitment to excellence for his students and staff made him a beloved part of the Wootton and MCPS communities.

"While this loss is extremely difficult for those of us who knew Dr. Doran, we will work closely with the school leadership, staff, and parents to ensure that Wootton High School is ready to open its doors on August 31 and provide an outstanding education to every student."

Former MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr said Doran “was just the absolute epitome of what a high school principal, any principal should be.”

Karen Lockard, who retired this year as the principal of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, said Doran recently moved to the Lionsgate condominium building in downtown Bethesda and enjoyed walking to her high school when Wootton athletic teams took on B-CC teams.

“He was a delightful man with a delightful sense of humor and so smart and passionate,” Lockard said.

She said she recommended a B-CC staff member for an assistant principal position at Wootton earlier this year. As part of the hiring process, Doran told Lockard he would be posing a simple set of questions: "'Does she love kids? Is she a team player? Does she have a sense of humor? Can she laugh at herself and does she work really hard for teenagers?’”

"That’s him. That’s what he wanted in his people and in his administrative team," Lockard said. "That’s what I would want for my child if he or she was sent to Wootton."

The school invited the community to a memorial service for Doran to take place at Wootton's football stadium from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. Grief counselors and staff members will be available for students and families on Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school's media center.