Mervin Monroe - Lunchlady Doris

Lunchlady Doris

Lunchlady Doris Freedman, voiced by Doris Grau up until her death, and now voiced by Tress MacNeille, is a sardonic chef for Springfield Elementary. She can frequently be seen serving deeply unpleasant meals, such as animal genitalia, shredded newspapers, and ground up gym mats, because of the school budget cutbacks. She has also made a handful of appearances acting as a school nurse. In "Whacking Day" Lunchlady Doris took the job as school nurse so she can earn two paychecks, but in "'Round Springfield," she reveals that she was put in the position of school nurse due to the school's many budget cuts (even having the belligerent Scottish janitor, Groundskeeper Willie, as a French teacher). In the episode Team Homer it is suggested that she is the mother of Jeremy Freedman (a.k.a. the Squeaky-voiced Teen).

After Grau's death in 1995, Lunchlady Doris was retired out of respect for over 10 years. Due to the delay between recording some episodes and the time they actually air, Grau's voice was included in episodes airing as late as 1997 such as "Lisa's Sax". Lunchlady Doris is seen as a silent background character until she speaks in the 18th season during "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer", where she is voiced by Tress MacNeille, season 19's "The Debarted", where she is again voiced by Tress MacNeille but with a different voice, and season 20's "Father Knows Worst". Lunchlady Doris has been seen dating Hans Moleman.