Doris May Roach

Doris May (Sommer) Roach was born in Wadsworth, Ohio on April 6, 1926, to Charles Wesley Sommer and Martha Tanner Sommer.  She passed away peacefully on June 13th with family by her side in the house she built with her husband more than 60 years ago.

She attended Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio where this beautiful homecoming queen met the love of her life, Tom Roach. They were married the day after graduation and left for their new life in California the following day with no jobs and little cash in their pockets. They settled in Westchester, then quickly moved to the Hollywood Riviera as their family grew. They shared 63 wonderful years of marriage before Tom’s passing in 2010.

Doris is survived by her children, Tom (Nancy), Jim (Anne-Marie), Katie (Jeff), Charlie (Barbara), daughter-in-law Pam, Marion (Jimmy), Kevin (Tina), Tim (Melissa), Patty, and daughter-in-law Beth. She was blessed with 20 Grandchildren, 12 Great Grandchildren and 3 Great-Great Grandchildren. Doris was preceded in death by her husband Tom, sons Bob and Steve and son-in-law Nader.

Doris was known for her kindness and welcoming spirit and had a wonderful life filled with loving family and friends. She was a respected educator and high school administrator at Bishop Montgomery High School, a devout Catholic and volunteer at her beloved St. Lawrence Parish and the Torrance Pregnancy Help Center. She was an avid reader and was grateful to the El Retiro Library staff for keeping her supplied with books each week. She traveled the world with Tom after their retirement and they both loved leading tours to Ireland. She was a loving and supportive mother to her 10 children, their spouses, and grandchildren, always acknowledging special occasions with a card and check, even as the recipients began having grandkids of their own.

Our heartfelt thanks to Mom’s caregivers Jen and Len. These beautiful ladies provided four years of excellent professional care and loving attention to Mom. We will be forever grateful for their support.

We will celebrate her life at a funeral mass on July 1, 2022, at 10 am at St. Lawrence Martyr Church in Redondo Beach. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in her name to a charity of your choice.