STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Dorothy Doran was in her mid-20’s, and already a mother, when she started to lose her vision. She did not know it at the time, would not find out for many decades, but she had Stargardt disease, a rare condition caused by a genetic defect that deteriorates vision. Doran would eventually become legally blind.
Doran, who established the Staten Island Center for Independent Living, died on Nov. 19 at the age of 91.
Born in 1934, Doran was a fifth-generation Staten Islander who grew up in West Brighton and Rosebank. She was the only child of Francis X. Monahan, who worked for the health department, and Marie (née Treanor) Monahan, who worked as an administrator in the city courts.
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Doran attended Curtis High School, where she was friendly with Jeb Magruder, who would later become an aide for President Nixon and land himself in prison for his involvement in Watergate.
After graduating from Curtis, Doran became a dental hygienist and worked in Manhattan.
She met her husband, James Doran, an attorney who was active in the Democratic party, and the pair married in 1954.
Dorothy Doran and James Doranfamily archive
Doran excelled as a homemaker, raising four children. “Her vision was deteriorating, so it was not easy for her,” said her son, also named James Doran. “It was quite a challenge. My father was often in Albany, on the road, or having long hours as an attorney. But she managed it. She was a real trooper.”
She was an active volunteer, lending her time to Knights of Columbus and Girls Scouts of America. She was a den mother for the Cub Scouts and was active in the Blessed Sacrament parish.
She loved Staten Island, and her family resided first in Arrochar, then Westerleigh, before moving to Randall Manor.
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When she was in her 40s, Doran went back to school to study social work. She obtained a Master’s degree from St. John’s University.
In 1982, at the age of 48, Doran launched the Staten Island Center for Independent Living in New Brighton. At the time, it was the only institution of its kind on the island.
According to its website, the organization is “the only comprehensive multi-service provider in the borough that is primarily staffed and governed by individuals who have personal experience with disability. It is the borough’s only not-for-profit agency providing services to individuals of all ages and all levels of disability.”
Staten Island Center for Independent Living serves those that are vision impaired, hearing impaired and mobility impaired. Its services and advocacy range far and wide.
Dorothy Doranfamily archive
“They teach braille and American Sign Language,” James Doran said. “They teach people the basics—how to cook and use a computer. They arrange events and seminars. If you want to start a business, they help you identify where to get a grant and they help you write that grant. They work with the spouses and family of people with disabilities to help them understand their role. If you come in looking for something that they don’t have, they will find it for you.”
Doran served as the organizations’s executive director for 28 years. “She was mild-mannered,” James Doran said. “She had a soft touch. Sometimes she made hard decisions but she managed them with finesse and grace.”
She was aided by her guide dogs, all Labradors. The first was named Bessie, followed by Clover, and finally Sally. “The dogs allowed her to move around independently, not only around the neighborhood but to go on trains and travel to Manhattan and beyond,” James Doran said.
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In 1988, for her work, Doran was named a Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement.
“She was searching for a world where people with disabilities could have every possible opportunity,” James Doran said. “She was involved with that until the end. She always supported people, even in her assisted living home, she gave people advice—where to get a cane or where to get special eyewear, who to speak to, where to go.”
In her free time, Doran loved classic movies and enjoyed going to Broadway shows. Even though she couldn’t see them, she could hear them, and that was enough.
“She was an amazing woman,” said her friend, Al Mondello. “She was probably the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. She made a positive difference in everyone’s lives. When you were around her, you felt special.”
Dorothy Doranfamily archive
Doran is survived by her children, James Doran, Brian Doran, Eileen Doran Heidel, and Erin Doran Reid, and three grandchildren.
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