Reverend Rosemary Doran

In her 91st year, Rosemary passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, December 7th, 2025.

Rosemary is survived by her husband of 63 years, Gerald Doran. Loving and devoted mother of Andrew (Lori), Barbara (Richard), and Ruth (Ian). Proud grandmother of Drew (Carly), Kaylie (Eric), Connor (Lauren), Robert (Elizabeth), Laura (Dylan), Petra (Natalie), Nathan (Isabela), and Justin. Great Grandmother to Landon, Tessa and William. Predeceased by her parents John (Jack) and Mary (Maisie) Allen and her sister Betty Arnold (Victor). Proud Aunt of Susan Arnold (Michael Magee) and Jennifer Hall (Robert) and their families, of Northern Ireland.

Rosemary was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 8th, 1935, the second child to Jack and Maisie Allen. She was always an avid reader and loved school and language. As a young woman she graduated Victoria College Belfast with honours enabling her to attend Trinity College Dublin where she achieved a B.A. Hons in English and French (1957). She became a language teacher and taught at private schools in Switzerland and Northern Ireland. She emigrated to Canada after meeting Gerald (a Canadian minister from Montreal, Quebec) in Italy in 1961 and marrying him in September of 1962. Once in Canada, she put her energies into helping to raise her family – Andrew (1964), Barbara (1967) and Ruth (1970) – supply teaching, involving herself in many facets of church life and ultimately going back to the University of Windsor. Here she completed a B.A Hons in Religious Studies (1982) and then a Masters in Religious Studies in 1984. She was awarded the Governors medal as well. This additional schooling awakened a new career path for her and she went on to Presbyterian College in Montreal where she obtained her Diploma in Ministry (1986). She became a minister with a Licence to Preach in 1986 and was ordained in 1989 when she became the minister of Riverside Presbyterian Church in Windsor. She was the minister there for 11 years and then she “retired” and moved to Brampton with Gerry in 2000 to be closer to Barb and Ruth. It was here that she began her next ministerial calling as Minister of Visitation (2001) and ultimately Minister Emeritus (2010) at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Brampton, where she served for the next 20+ years. She contributed on many levels to the Presbyterian Church in Canada Head Office and the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS), for which she co-authored the book “Certain Women Amazed Us” with Lois Klempa (2002).

She enjoyed music, art, languages, travel, engaging in philosophical debates, good food and wine, and spending time with her family, especially around the dinner table. She was an excellent listener and provided an empathetic ear to many over the years – both officially and unofficially. She became the surrogate mother, mother-in-law, counsellor, friend and confidante to numerous people. She will be fondly remembered as “Our Beloved Rosemary” and will hold a special place in many hearts for years to come.

We will miss her laughter, her sage advice, her listening ear, her stern look when she caught us misbehaving (which was often) and her fashion sense!

A big thank you to the staff at Greenway Retirement home and Burton Manor for their care of her over the last few months.

In lieu of flowers, donations to St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Brampton or World Vision are appreciated.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in 2026.