Eleanor Ann Doersam

Truly a great lady. She was the Assistant Principal when I attended Eastern High School. To her family and friends: May your cherished memories of this great woman bring you comfort and may knowing that she is in God’s loving embrace give you peace.

What a loss to the Quaker Nation. Ellie was one of a kind. Our years connected to Eastern High were some of the best in Paul’s career. She was not only his boss and mentor, but a great friend. We loved her dearly. Rest In Peace dear friend. We love you. Mary Ellen Cook

She was Eastern High School’s biggest cheerleader and supporter. Luckily I didn’t have many reasons to have been in her office in high school, but in the last 12 years or so she has become a good friend. We worked together with The Eastern Athletic Hall Fame and had many lunches together just catching up. I feel an emptiness today. Even more so than when they closed Eastern’s doors a few years ago. She was Eastern. She is what I remember about being a Quaker. Dana “Chris” Barajas, Class of 1982, secretary of Lansing Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame, & friend of Miss D.

My mom was one of her first students and my youngest brother was one of her last. She was a great educator and guided me through HS and after. My sincere condolences to the family.

She made a difference in my life and will be greatly missed. Lansing Eastern Class of 1978.

Ms. Doersam was my principal at Eastern in the late 80s. She was such a wonderful role model and principal. What an impact she’s made on the lives of so many. Prayers and love to her close friends and family.

“Hail to the Victors Valient
Hail to the Conquering Heroes
Hail, Hail to Michigan
The Champions of the West!”

May God bless you Principal Doersam!

Go Blue!

Ron Wilson, former President
UM Club of Greater Lansing

I truly loved Ms. Doersam. She cared so much for her students and their welfare. She guided me all through high school. She was the best of the best PE teachers. Prayers for comfort and peace for her family and friends. Barbara Helmer Summers, class of 1962

I didn’t have the chance to know our Principal (class of 1990)- I suppose because I stayed out of trouble! But I could never forget her sweet smile! For those who knew her well, my condolences.

My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of this wonderful Lady. Thankfully I never had to know the hard side in her office and I have fond memories of her. Luckily she was our cheerleader at all our high school functions. Eastern was blessed to have her. I had to move in my Sophomore year and still consider Eastern my home school. If I had stayed I would have been part of Eastern’s Class of 89.
Rest in heaven. You will forever be our treasured Quaker.

Miss Doersam was a favorite teacher of mine.
Was in her gym class and on her volleyball team. I live in Alaska and was back in the spring to see my family in Michigan. I had talked to my family about seeing her. Now I wish I would have. Was in graduation class of 65. My sincere thoughts go out to the family. She was a very special lady!

Mrs. Doersam was such a nice principal; she always had such a great and welcoming smile. I remember her fondly as I’m sure many other alumni from Eastern High School do. RIP Ms. Doersam. Your memory will live on in all the students that were lucky enough to be mentored by you. Eastern High School Class of 1988

I’m so very sorry to hear of her passing. She was a great friend of my family and especially my Uncle Bob. I always loved talking with her when we were at church. She always had a great interest in whatever we were doing, with a twinkle in her eye and a kindness in her heart. Thank you, Eleanor, on behalf of myself and my family for all of the friendship and the love! It takes a village and you, Eleanor, were very much a part of our village!

The evening skies are now eternally blue and gold as The Lansing Eastern High School Matriarch, and U of M alum, transcends to her next adventure and journey. Her dedication, caring heart, and entire career have touched the lives of so many! Thanks for all your wonderful guidance and so many great years Miss Doersam. May your new blue and gold wings guide you and remind all of us PF the many lessons and blessings you have brought into our lives.
Sending prayers of comfort and peace to her family and her Quaker Family & Friends as well.
LEHS Forever In Our Hearts LEHS

Firm but sympathetic, energetic, dedicated, and motivating principle I will always remember- LEHS Class Of 1989

An irreplaceable legacy of LEHS, a true believer that everyone was capable of greatness, she will be missed by all who knew her. May her life everlasting be the reward for the impact she made on us all. Rest In Peace, Miss Ellie. You will not be forgotten. LEHS ‘78

Miss Doersam was my Physical Education teacher for three years starting in the fall of 1963. She was the main reason I became a PE teacher myself and also a coach at St. Johns high school (1970-1997). She also was very instrumental in helping me nominate my dad (Bud Reniger, class of 1941 into the Lansing Eastern Hall of Fame for golf. She will always hold a special place in my heart. I always enjoyed our conversations. She loved and cherished her family and she loved Eastern.

We will all miss our sweet, wonderful Ellie. She was a wonderful counselor, mentor, friend no matter what position she was in at EHS. She was an icon to thousands of us in and from Lansing. May God give her the rest she needs but I’m sure she is organizing something up there. Barb Landells-Kuerbitz, Class of ’59

May You Rest In Peace Ms. Eleanor Ann Doersam.
My Deepest Condolence & Prayers For The Family! God Bless!! Lansing Eastern Grad C/o Of 89! #Quaker!!!!

I’m truly sorry for your lost. I was working at the facility where she was living at. I Approached her and she remembered me, class of (84) Eastern High School. Not remembering my name but she remembered my face. I’m so thankful I had the chance to chop it up with her in her last days. Ride high Ms. Doersam your surly going to be missed.

I had the honor and privilege to work for her my senior year. One super interesting hour out of my day. She was a wonderful role model, for what female leadership could be. RIP Ms. Doersam you touched many lives. Condolences to her family.

My thoughts and prayers goes out to the family. Ellie was such a dear and special lady and loved by all who knew her. I enjoyed working with her at St Pauls where we went to church for several years, Ellie will be missed by all.
My heart goes out to all.
God Bless

RIP Dear Ellie. You inspired me with your strength, integrity and resilience. You went from being my High School Counsellor (Class of ‘73) to my dear, cherished friend. Peace and grace to the family and loved ones of this remarkable lady.

I was a 1968 graduate of Eastern and worked closely with Ms. Doersam when working in the main office on co-op. She was a very strong woman and so fair listening to all sides in a conflict. Two of my daughters also attended Eastern while Ms. Doersam was in office.

Deepest sympathies to the family.

I had the privilege of teaching at Eastern when Ms. Doersam was assistant principal and principal of Eastern High School. She encouraged and inspired me to take on leadership roles in the Lansing School District. May she Rest In Peace.

As a former student, (class of 74) I had the opportunity to see a great lady be a role model to many young girls. I then had the opportunity to return as a coach in 1980 and coach for over 10 years. She was a pioneer for many young women and was a die hard supporter of all Eastern students. A great woman. Will be greatly missed. RIP Miss Doersam.

I had the pleasure of doing Eleanor’s hair at Independence Village, she was an amazing woman, I cherished all of her stories she told me every week, she truly was an inspiration to me, she never had a bad word to say about anybody. I will truly miss her calling me her sunshine, she was my angel. I will miss you my friend. Denise Cook.

Ms. Ellie I was a graduate of 1962. Ellie was my gym teacher and volleyball coach. We played our hearts for her. Later in my life, my husband Ron had terminal cancer and he was in Sparrow Hospital. Ellie came up often, really to see Marie Terranova and Marie’s mom who was also terminal. She always stopped to say hello to Ron and myself. She even came to the funeral home when he passed. She was a wonderful friend and I’ll never forget her.

Aunt Elle:

You will be missed.

Ed and Michelle Churches

My sincere condolences and prayers for the family. She was dean of girls When I went to Eastern. She was very stern but very fair and she was always willing to listen and if you needed it she would give you advice.

She is remarkable in her leadership and contribution to her community. I admire her achievements and as a close friend to her niece Rebecca, I can see how her family benefited greatly from her presence and guidance. Wishing her family all the best.

Ms Doersam is the reason I graduated when I had a conflict with a teacher she took my side. I as a teenager thought she was mean, as an adult, parent, and grandparent, I realize it was not mean it was just true compassion for all students regardless of our athletic ability or scholastic achievement. May God bless her family, friends, and former students. She led a full life and touched many, and was my assistant principal and before that she was my mother’s gym teacher. I still remember how my teacher ran to her saying how I was skipping and left class and to suspend me, she calmly said no, she is with me, she will be with me until her father arrives to take her to doctor. He said so, you aren’t going to punish her? She said no, she was in the right you may go back to your class. I truly felt like she had my back

One of a kind lady. How she fought to save our dear ole Eastern. How she was one of us. How she prized our volleyball photos and had the photos for many years on her principal office walls. How she made each and every student and faculty feel special. She was one of a kind friend and teacher. I know I will see her again in heaven as one of those special angels. Linda, class of ’64.

You were great friend to my mother Ruby Anne Allen Magee when she was alive. She believed in you and fought for you to be appointed principal at Eastern. Prayers to all your family

Rest well thy good and faithful servant. I will always remember your “Good Morning, Quakers” to start each day in our classrooms. We were all part of your Quaker family. You did many things to promote the family atmosphere at Eastern for us as faculty, for the staff and for the students. Thank you for being a great example of an involved leader. You were admired and respected and loved by your Eastern family. May God be with your earthly family as they move on day by day.