We Say Goodbye to Sr. Alma Doran
Sister M. Alma Doran, OP, age 94, returned to God on October 9, 2025, after a brief illness. She was a Dominican Sister of San Rafael for 73 years. An esteemed educator and counselor to many, Sr. Alma will be remembered for her signature way of connecting with others and her persistent positivity and sense of joy.
Born December 26, 1930, to Thomas and Grace Hodge Doran, Sr. Alma was a third-generation San Franciscan. Her mother often told her about the days after the 1906 earthquake when her family lived in a park at Van Ness Avenue and Bay Streets, where Galileo High School is today.
Sister Alma attended St. Rose Academy in San Francisco and remembered her close friends there and their teenage antics. After graduation, Alma worked in the business world for a year before entering the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael in 1951.
From 1952 until 1981, Sister Alma taught primary grades at St. Michael School, Livermore; St. Dominic School, San Francisco; St. Leander School, San Leandro; St. John Vianney School, Rancho Cordova; and St. Raphael School, San Rafael. Although she had a real talent for teaching, her life took a new turn.
In 1977, Sister Alma spent a year with the Providence Sisters in Spokane, Washington. When she returned to the Bay Area, she worked for several years at Horizon House in San Leandro as a counselor to persons who suffered from drug and alcohol abuse. After she retired from full-time employment, Sister Alma became a volunteer counselor at St. Mary Center in Oakland, CA. Later, she managed a twenty-apartment complex in San Leandro. After retiring from management, Sister Alma lived for several years at St. Dominic Convent in San Francisco. Her final years were spent at the Dominican Sisters’ care center in San Rafael.
She cherished time with her family, enjoying their company, going on trips and excursions, and was a special guest at many celebrations, including her grandniece’s wedding just a week before her passing. She had a gift for making any situation lighter, always finding the silver lining. She was an avid Bay Area sports fan, especially devoted to the San Francisco Giants, cheering them on through every season. Her family and friends will remember her as sharp-witted and quick with a joke, a clever card player who kept everyone on their toes, and a truly devoted friend to many.
Sister Alma was what one of her friends described as a “pixie-like sense of humor.” Her quiet, direct, yet compassionate nature could be seen in her relationship with her clients and tenants. Keeping in close touch with her many friends and family, Sister Alma was a cheerful, upbeat contributor to any occasion of which she was a part.
Sister Alma is predeceased by her parents, Tom and Grace Doran; her sister, Patricia Savelli (Richard); and her nephews, Richard Savelli (Judy), Steven Savelli (Ed), and Gregory Savelli. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Susan Mialocq (Gary), Carol Savelli, Thomas Savelli (Lesley), and John Savelli (Kendal), as well as many beloved grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, and great-grandnieces and nephews, all of whom brought her great joy. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her and especially by her Dominican Sisters.
A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated on Monday, October 27, 2025, at the Gathering Space of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael (1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901) at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Dominic Cemetery in Benicia at 1 pm.
Memorial gifts in Sister Alma’s honor may be made to the Retirement Fund, Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Advancement Office, 1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901, or online at www.sanrafaelop.org/get-involved/ways-to-give
Ministries
Education
• St. Michael’s, Livermore 1952-53 (Teacher, Grade 3)
• St. Dominic’s, San Francisco 1953-57 (Teacher, Grades 2, 3)
• St. Leander’s, San Leandro 1957-60 (Teacher, Grade 1)
• Annunciation, Stockton 1960-65 (Teacher, Grade 4)
• St. John Vianney, Rancho Cordova 1965-67 (Teacher, Grade 4)
• St. Raphael’s, San Rafael 1967-78 (Teacher, Grades 5, 7, Vice-Principal)
• St. Leander’s, San Leandro 1978-81 (Reading Specialist)
Healthcare
• St. Leander’s Horizon House, San Leandro 1980-92 Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counselor
• St. Mary’s Center, San Leandro 1997-2015 Resident Manager and Counselor
Other
• Apartment Manager, San Leandro 1993-2013