ESCONDIDO -- It's not hard to spot Vivian Doering around these parts. She's the person wearing bright-colored hats and scarves, most often red, at meetings of countless organizations working to better the community.

Actually, countless isn't quite accurate. Doering is involved with 29 groups, by her count, often in a leadership role.

A small sample of her community service includes serving as president of the Escondido Woman's Club and the local chapter of American Association of University Women, her second time as president of each.

She is legislative chair of the California Federation of Women's Clubs, education chair of the local League of Women Voters group and a new board member for the Escondido History Center. She recently completed three years on the board of the North County Bar Association and is very active at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Beyond that, the elder law attorney donates legal services once a week at the Joslyn Senior Center and devotes perhaps 70 percent of her practice to pro bono work, a legal term that means working for free.

"She has a finger in everything you can think of. Vivian is very busy," said Gloria Pellom, newsletter writer and a past president of AAUW, which provides scholarships and other assistance to women re-entering college.

That's a cause near and dear to Doering, as she is one of those women, having entered law school at University of San Diego at age 55. The mother of six spent many years while raising her children as a freelance writer, contributing feature articles to King Features Syndicate and covering government meetings and other stories for the Times-Advocate, a predecessor of the North County Times.

She managed to crank out seven novels along the way, which she jokingly called "worthless."

Doering credits her work ethic to inspiration from her mother, a Bulgarian immigrant who was a college professor before the family moved to Moline, Ill., before World War Il. After Doering's father died in an on-the-job railroad accident, her mother, a graduate of the Sorbonne who spoke five languages, would clean houses for $1 a day, then wash dishes at a cafe in the evening.

"Everything I am involved in flows from my mom's involvement," said Doering. "She was there. She was always there. No matter how much her heart was broken, she never said 'poor me.' "

Adopting the motto "Each one reach one," Doering devotes herself professionally and personally to standing up for those who can't while enjoying life every step of the way.

The office she shares with her husband, Joe, is filled with brightly colored stuffed bunnies, ducks and other animals and toys of many types, aimed at putting her older clients at ease.

"People can come and play with stuff. They're not frightened by a sterile office environment," she said.

Her colorful outfits and hats are a bow to Jenny Joseph's poem "When I am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple," reflecting a passion for life.

"Red is blood. Red is life. I always have red on. It represents life. I have three red scarves in my car. People give them to me. They know I love red," she said. "I enjoy hats. Joe says he can always find me at a meeting because I wear them."

Doering's resume also includes four terms on the Escondido Union School District board from 1965-81, a pair of unsuccessful runs for the City Council and years of teaching creative writing classes for adults.

"She's somebody who really does work for the benefit of people. Even in her legal practice she does a lot of pro bono work," said Pellom. "She wants to work in the lives of people and make their lives better."

Contact staff writer Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.