Fagen Miller Funeral Homes

He was 94.The former Highland president and trustee was known for his charity work for people with disabilities, United Way, the Diocese of Gary Catholic Charities and the town of Highland.He was a longtime member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Highland, where he served as usher, hymn leader and Eucharistic minister.Doherty and his late wife, who died in 2012, were inducted into Bishop Noll's Hall of Honor last year for their decades of dedication and service to the school and the Region.  The Rockford, Illinois, native served the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II in Bari, Italy. He married his wife, Mary Elizabeth 'Bette' Burns, on Sept. 11, 1948.  For 35 years, he served as district manager for Illinois Bell Telephone. He later went on to serve as vice president of business development for what is now known as First Financial Bank, a role he was in for 12 years.Doherty was a member of the American Legion Post #16, VFW Post 1109, the Chamber of Commerce in Highland, the Bishop Noll Institute Foundation, The Arc of Northwest Indiana, Salvation Army, and many other public service, charity and civic organizations.He was also a volunteer firefighter and served as president on the Catholic Charities board in Lake County. In 2013, the Highland Chamber of Commerce presented Doherty with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of service and dedication to the town of Highland and the chamber. Doherty is survived by his six children Paul (Kathleen) Doherty and Peter (Beverly) Doherty of Schererville, Philip (Cynthia) Doherty of Elmhurst, Beth (Richard) Courtright of Highland, Jean (Brian) Rycerz of Schererville and John (Janet) Doherty of Sugar Grove. He also leaves behind several grandchildren. "Paul will be remembered as a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend to many," according to his obituary. Visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 at Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, 8580 Wicker Ave., in St. John.Family and friends will celebrate his life with a funer... (nwitimes.com)

Doherty used to complain about the huge amounts of mail he received.His children thought he was exaggerating, his oldest son, Paul Doherty, said Monday. Then they started noticing in the mailbox, there were at least three to four inches of mail from various charities."He was giving to just an unbelievable amount of organizations, and he would keep it separated in piles of receipts and solicitations," Paul Doherty said. "That's just who he was."The outpouring of love and sympathy has been overwhelming for the Doherty family over the loss of their patriarch, Doherty said. Paul L. Doherty, 94 and of Highland, died Saturday at Community Hospital after a long illness.Doherty said they knew the well wishes would be many. Still, the sheer volume of people who knew him is "pretty impressive."His credo, he said, was "Do something nice for someone every day.""It wasn't phony, either," Doherty said. "He started visiting people who were sick because they didn't have anyone, and so he put them on a schedule. And when he was a running for office, he would attend funerals, and people thought he was just doing it for the votes. He's been out of politics for many years now, and he still goes to funerals."That's just a side of him that maybe people didn't realize."Highland Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin said he laments that young people coming up in public service will never know the type of office run by Doherty, who served for 12 years as the town's clerk-treasurer before Griffin assumed the office."He set a great foundation for me when I came on, but he was also great as a councilman," Griffin said. "In fact, he was one of the members instrumental voting for the Parks and Recreation Board act of 1968 or '69, and he was part of choosing the location of the main fire station and advancement of Main Square Park."A member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where he served as usher, hymn leader, and Eucharistic Minister, the elder Doherty served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Bari, Italy during WWII. His first career was... (Chicago Tribune)