Doris Mary Gilmore

July 17, 1917 – April 24, 2017

Doris Mary (Spaulding) Gilmore passed peacefully from this life into eternity on April 24, 2017, less than three months shy of her 100th birthday. Doris was born on July 17, 1917 in Inglewood, California as the third of six children of Harry and Eula Spaulding. She was proud to be counted among the 11th generation of the Spaulding family in the United States, able to trace her ancestry directly back to the family landing in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619.

After graduating as a top student and athlete from Inglewood High School in 1934, Doris attended Compton Junior College, graduating with an AA degree in 1936. It was at Compton J.C. that Doris met the love of her life, Roland Gilmore. After three years of courtship Doris married Roland on November 18, 1938. Doris attended George Pepperdine College on a music scholarship (she was an accomplished cello player), graduating with a BS in education in 1941. Doris was awarded an MS in education from USC in 1950. Doris began her career in education in 1941 as a teacher in the Compton City Schools, but by 1944 was recognized for her administrative abilities and became a principal. From 1944 until 1963, Doris served as a principal at four different elementary schools in Compton, including 12 years at Abraham Lincoln Elementary. She was then recruited in 1963 to become the first female principal in the Downey Unified School District, where she was the principal at Alameda Elementary from 1963 to 1970 and then at Gallatin Elementary until her retirement in 1975.

As to her home life, after attempting for many years to have children, Doris and Roland adopted a baby girl they named Carol Sue in 1951. Soon after, Doris became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Scott, in 1953. Doris raised her family at their home in Long Beach from 1953 until Roland retired in 1977 and they moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. After three years in Arizona, Doris and Roland lived in Sun City, California for 22 years and then Seal Beach for 9 years. Doris spent her last six years in assisted living at Brookdale Valley View in Garden Grove.

Doris experienced many years of enjoyment with both her immediate and extended family at the Gilmore cabin in Crestline. During the years she was raising a family, Doris and her family traveled extensively throughout the United States, ultimately visiting all fifty states. In retirement, Doris and Roland combined international trips to places such as Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand, Israel, Egypt and the Caribbean, with more driving trips around the United States and, especially, over the many roads of her native California.

While raising her family, Doris was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Long Beach, serving as a Deaconess, singing in the choir and sponsoring activities for the youth groups. In retirement Doris and Roland were active members of the churches in the communities in which they lived. Doris also continued to play her cello in her local civic symphonies.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Roland, her daughter, Carol Sue Borrowdale, and her five siblings: Stanley Spaulding, Robert Spaulding, Charlotte Price, Eleanor Hanes and Janice Folk. Doris is survived by her son, Scott Gilmore and his wife, Cynthia, her grandchildren Matthew (Kimberly) Gilmore, Ryan (Brit) Gilmore, Chase (Jamie) Gilmore, and Emily (Matthew) Klein, and her great grandchildren Noah Scott Gilmore and Dylan Jean Gilmore.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. in Waverly Chapel at Fairhaven Memorial Park, 1702 Fairhaven Avenue, Santa Ana, California, followed immediately by her burial. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Doris' memory to Precious Lamb Preschool (for homeless children in Long Beach) at 2005 Palo Verde Avenue, PMB301, Long Beach, California 90815 or online at www.preciouslamb.org.