Dr. Doyle remembered for his love of teaching

By ROB HERBST
The Catholic Week
Dr. Thomas Doyle held many distinguished titles throughout his more than 50 years dedicated to Catholic education, many of which were spent at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School.
According to longtime colleague Faustin Weber, there was one title that trumped all the others.
“The one that mattered most to him was simply ‘teacher,’ ” Weber wrote at catholiceducator.blogspot.com about Dr. Doyle, who died Sept. 9 at age 81.
Dr. Doyle served as Montgomery Catholic’s first president from 1989-2001 after serving as principal from 1973-1989. During his 28 years of leadership at Montgomery Catholic, he taught Physics and Calculus every year to seniors in the school, and sometimes, a third class in theology, math or psychology. 
“Dr. Tom Doyle was a marvelous, devout Catholic educational leader and a great friend to me,” said Archdiocese of Mobile Superintendent of Catholic Schools Gwen Byrd. “He loved teaching, especially Physics. Even as a Catholic School president and principal, he remained in the classroom. He expected the best from teachers and students, and always made time to help students who were in need or struggling.”
Dr. Doyle was a Mobile native and received an undergraduate degree in Physics from Spring Hill College.
He taught Physics at McGill Institute for five years then enrolled at Notre Dame, where he earned a Ph.D in Physics in 1973. Dr. Doyle then served for 16 years as principal at Montgomery Catholic and 12 years as the school’s president. While at Montgomery Catholic, he also served as the Archdiocese of Mobile’s Vicar of Catholic Education for more than 20 years.
“He elevated Catholic school Advisory Councils to truly make a difference in our schools. Although a quiet man, he always had messages to give in a way that truly made you think deeper and made a difference in people’s lives,” Byrd said. 
Dr. Doyle eventually moved on to become academic director for Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education in 2011.
“This physicist from Mobile moved to Notre Dame to take on the leadership of ACE’s M.Ed. program and tirelessly devoted his brilliant and ever-curious mind to the good of others. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for the blessing of Doc Doyle’s life,” an ACE social media post read.
When Dr. Doyle retired in 2015 and moved to Daphne, he remained in the classroom and taught math part-time at St. Michael Catholic High School.
Weber said he first met Dr. Doyle when interviewing for a position at MCPS in 1985. Weber became principal in 1989 when Dr. Doyle was named president, then succeeded Dr. Doyle as president.
“I remember the interview still today, nearly 37 years ago. We only spent five or 10 minutes talking about the teaching position. The rest of it — over two hours — was about theology, science, books and ideas. I remember I was fascinated …  Dr. Doyle is the reason I came to Catholic High then, the reason I became its principal in 1989 under his mentorship as president, and the reason I’ve been working in Catholic high schools ever since.  
“He remains the most dynamic, creative educational leader I’ve ever known.”