Lois Ann Boyle Foss
Lois Ann Boyle Foss, 93, a longtime resident of Upper St. Clair, passed away Friday, July 30, 2021, following a well-lived life. She was the daughter (and only child) of John Lyons Boyle and Lilian Biesecker Boyle, born December 23, 1927.
Lois was born and raised in Pittsburgh but took off to River Falls, Wisconsin for college, where she met her beloved husband, Norman “Bud” Arthur Foss, with whom she celebrated 56+ years of marriage until his death in 2003. Their marriage was celebrated at the former Schenley Hotel in Oakland and then they returned to River Falls to build their lives as a married couple. There, Lois gave birth to their three well-loved daughters, Adrienne Foss Craig (Steve Belcher) of Jersey Shore, Gretchen Foss Means (Jack Means) of Washington and Marjorie “Margie” Foss Dagnal (Mark Dagnal) of Cowansville. They later moved to Pennsylvania.
There were many interests and passions that Lois enjoyed throughout her adult life. She was a lover of family history and spent painstaking amounts of time piecing together her family’s ancestry. She even took a trip to Europe with a genealogical tour where she was able to comb through records of births, marriages and deaths of those that came before her. As a longtime member of DAR (Bethel Fife and Drum Chapter, past regent), she assisted others in their ancestry search as well. She was active at her church, St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mt. Lebanon, where she also enjoyed participating in the women’s book club as well as Dicken’s Dames, The Canterbury Fair and Claudia Circle. Being a voracious reader, she was rarely seen without a book at her side. She was a very passionate and well-informed participant in our democracy and supported many important causes to help others rise, the environment and to support gun control. Many evenings and afternoon were spent playing bridge with friends and family. Other pastimes were walking, cross-country skiing, rollerblading, crossword puzzles, knitting, sewing and eating dark chocolate with a Merlot chaser. She loved to shovel snow and missed Wisconsin winters!
Lois was employed by the Singer Sewing Company in Williamsport, South Hills Village in Bethel Park, and later owned and operated a Singer Sewing retail shop in Canonsburg, with her husband. She retired from Mayview State Hospital as a psychiatric aide.
There was nothing that Lois relished more than family get-togethers! Small lunches with just a few or large weekend celebration reunions with the Boyle and Biesecker clans made her happy. Family and staying connected to family were important to her. The family members left to celebrate her life other than her daughters and their husbands are grandchildren (who knew her as “Belle”), Christopher Lyon Cameron (Neka), Jessica Slate Cameron Bridges (Sam), Andrew Russell Phillips (Erinann), Timothy Paul Phillips (Nina), Kathryn Dagnal (Fred Hartz) and Charles Dagnal (Maggie); and 15 great-grandchildren, soon to be joined by two more, and cousins. Lots of cousins!
Lois loved well and was well-loved.
Many thanks to the staff at McMurray Hills Manor for the loving care that they provided for Lois’ comfort and well-being and to Gateway Hospice for comfort in her final days.
There will be a memorial service to celebrate her life Saturday, September 18, in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon with a time yet to be decided. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her memory to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Gateway Hospice, McMurray Hills Manor or Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Final arrangements have been through Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Care, 3287 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15317.