William Charles Doran

1945 - 2016

William Charles Doran, 71, of West Hartford, died on December 24, 2016. He was the beloved husband of Susan Cohn Doran, and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He loved being with his family, and especially his grandchildren, who also adored him. Bill was born on February 26, 1945, in Brooklyn, NY, to Raymond Paul and Janet Martha (Lockhart) Doran. Raised in Greenfield, MA, Bill graduated from Greenfield High School, where he excelled academically and at sports, and met and fell in love with Susan, whom he married in 1967. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Bill attended Yale University Law School, where his academic studies were interrupted after his first year by the draft. Upon completing his military service in South Korea, Bill returned to Yale to finish his last two years of law school. After completing his studies, Bill moved to the Hartford area with Susan to begin a family and his law career. In 1982, he joined Atlas and Hudon in West Hartford. Bill enjoyed his colleagues, his clients, his work, and especially the two-minute commute to his office. Despite being a man of few words, Bill was a logophile: he loved creating puns, completing New York Times crossword puzzles and cryptograms, and playing Boggle with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Forced to discover the joy of cooking while Sue was away one weekend in 1996, Bill became an avid home chef, creating meals that drew on cuisines from around the globe. Always in search of fresh, seasonal ingredients, Bill loved taking frequent trips to the Garlic Farm and Cold Spring Brook Farm. Taking joy in simple pleasures, Bill loved going on long walks in the West Hartford Reservoir and Elizabeth Park, drives in the countryside, and watching UConn Huskies basketball. In addition to Susan, his wife of 49 years, Bill is survived by his children: Amanda Rose Doran and her husband Gilbert Cordova; Abigail Doran O'Meara; Jonathan William Doran and his wife Basak; and Hannah Julia Doran Aneiros and her husband Michael. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Zachary Maurice and Alexandra Judith O'Meara; William Charles and Jack Doran; and Alicia Rachel Cordova. In addition, he is survived by his brother Paul Doran and his wife Maggie, and his sister Jane Kane and her husband Al. He leaves many cherished friends as well. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, January 1, 2017, at Molloy Funeral Home in West Hartford. Visiting hours will be from 2-4pm, with words of remembrance beginning at 4pm. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Bill's honor to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (www.bcan.org), Foodshare (site.foodshare.org), or the Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation (www.ghla.org). Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com