Ján Lud'o Doranský was born in Trstená, Orava (northern Slovakia, near the Tatra Mountains) on May 28, 1911. He was the third son of Vendelin Doranský, a bookbinder, and Anna, who owned a stationery store. He had two surviving siblings: Ondrej (Andrej), a priest who opposed the Communist regime, and his sister Ilona (Helena).
As a child and teenager, Ján was passionate about literature, poetry, and music. After high school, he enrolled in the music conservatory in Bratislava with aspirations of becoming an opera singer. However, his parents encouraged him to pursue a different path. He began studying law at the University of Bratislava, but after two years, he switched to notarial studies.
Ján L. Doranský held various positions in remote areas, including one in Ubla, where he met his future wife, Mary Jakl. During this time, he was drafted for compulsory military service. In February 1938, Ján and Mary were married at the Greek-Catholic Church in Ubla. The following year, World War II broke out, and the Hungarians annexed Eastern Slovakia, including Ubla. The Doranský family fled to Trstená and later moved to Bratislava, where Ján had a new assignment.
During the war, Mikulaš Gaček, a writer and friend of General Ferdinand Čatloš, approached Ján about helping to establish a Cultural Affairs Division within the Ministry of National Defense. Ján quickly assembled a group of artists, writers, photographers, and filmmakers, created an army press, and even produced a documentary. He also served on the Russian front. Ján’s experiences with the Slovak army during the war are detailed in the book From the Carpathians to the Caucasus. While in Bratislava, Ján and Mary had two children: Maria Anna (Mary) and Louis (Ľudovit, Ludo).
In 1945, fearing retribution from the advancing Red Army, the Doranský family fled Bratislava. After staying in Austria, Bavaria, Assisi, Rome (as guests of Karol Sidor at the Vatican), Naples, and Bremenhaven in Germany, the family finally arrived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on February 8, 1950. Over the next several years, both Ján and Mary held various jobs. Mary worked as a babysitter, button-maker, cleaner, lampshade stretcher, toy production worker, florist, and administrative assistant. Ján, on the other hand, worked as a refrigerator deliveryman, construction worker, guard, and assistant insurance broker.
In addition to these jobs, Ján was the producer and host of the CJMS radio show Voices of Canadian Slovaks, which aired every Friday.
In the early 1970s, Ján was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away on April 5, 1973. His funeral at St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Montreal was attended by many members of the Slovak community.
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