WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A Flag flies half-staff outside of Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre in honor of the life and legacy of Principal Doreen Dougherty.
"She genuinely loved her job. She didn't see it as a job; she saw it as a vocation," said Kristen Donohue, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Diocese of Scranton.
Dougherty died on Saturday after a private battle with an illness over the past several years.
She started her career as a teacher in the Diocese of Scranton before becoming the principal of All Saints Academy in 2015.
She then took over as principal of Holy Redeemer High School in 2019.
"She just had this passion that couldn't be contained, and she just put forth this incredible energy every single day," explained Donohue.
Kristen Donohue, Superindentent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Scranton, knew Doreen as a colleague and friend.
She says she dedicated her life to her family, her four children, and her students, "While we had our responsibilities professionally, we were also good friends and being able to laugh and share memories."
And at just 54 years old, Donahue says her time was cut way too short.
But she says her legacy will live on through her daughter, who is following in her footsteps as principal of La Salle Academy in Lackawanna County, and through each and every student that passed through the halls.
"Being able to be around Mrs. Dougherty, you were truly able to sense this great person with so much to give with the limited time that she had," said Donohue.
People in the community will be able to pay their respects at Holy Redeemer High School on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.