Martha Doran

Martha Doran MARTHA HUBBARD WAS BORN IN OHIO ON OCTOBER 10, 1917. HER FIRST TRIP TO PASADENA, IN 1940, WAS FOR A VISIT WITH HER SISTER. BUT MARTHA MUST HAVE LIKED THIS SMALL TOWN WITHIN A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA BECAUSE SHE FINALLY MOVED HERE IN THE MID 40’S. SHE MET AND MARRIED LEE (RED) MARTIN DORAN IN 1947. THEY WERE BLESSED WITH THREE CHILDREN, A SON, LELAND AND TWIN DAUGHTERS, MARILYN AND CAROLYN. IN THE MID TO LATE 1950’S, ALONG WITH RAISING THEIR FAMILY, MARTHA AND RED BECAME VERY INVOLVED WITH NEWLY FORMED MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BOWLING ORGANIZATIONS IN PASADENA.

MARTHA WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS AN AJBC (NOW YABA) COACH. SHE ALSO BECAME ADMINISTRATIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE PASADENA WOMEN’S BOWLING ASSOCIATION, SERVING OUR ASSOCIATION FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS. MARTHA DORAN BOWLED IN SEVERAL MORNING LEAGUES WITH VARIOUS WOMEN BOWLERS AND A FEW NIGHT TIME MIXED LEAGUES WITH HER HUSBAND, RED, AT OLD PASADENA LANES.

THE PASADENA CITIZEN ARCHIVES HAVE MANY ARTICLES UNDER “BOWLING NEWS”, LISTING MANY AWARD SCORES AND BOWLING RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ALONG WITH THE MANY LEAGUES SHE BOWLED, MARTHA WAS ASSOCIATION SECRETARY FOR 10 YEARS AND A DIRECTOR FOR AT LEAST 4 YEARS. REMEMBER THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS, BEFORE COMPUTERS.

SHE ALSO REPRESENTED PASADENA WOMEN BOWLERS AS A DELEGATE TO BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL CONVENTIONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND BOWLED IN SAME. AS A DEDICATED BOARD MEMBER, MARTHA SERVED ON AND CHAIRED SEVERAL COMMITTEES.

MARTHA WAS WELL LOVED AND APPRECIATED BY SISTER PWBA BOARD MEMBERS AND PASADENA BOWLERS. THERE IS ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE LADIES STILL BOWLING, YET THEY ALL ARE FULL OF PRAISE FOR MARTHA AND HER DEDICATION TO BOWLING. I HAVE HEARD MORE THAN ONE LADY STATE “WHILE SHE WAS SECRETARY, YOU COULD ALWAYS DEPEND ON MARTHA TO CONDUCT A GOOD TOURNAMENT.” TO SAY THAT SHORTY, AS HER HUSBAND CALLED HER, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PASADENA WOMEN’S BOWLING ASSOCIATION WOULD ONLY DO JUSTICE TO HER.