McGHEE
Lois Lucile
December 16, 1931 – October 17, 2018
Lois Lucile McGhee passed away on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 in Red Deer, Alberta. She was born on December 16, 1931 and was part of the ‘younger three McGhee children; Lois, Mert and Joan. The older siblings were Calvin, Verna and Elzaida. She Loved the Turtle Back farm and the community of Orkney, where she grew up just west of Drumheller. Attending a one room school with her siblings, riding a horse or sleigh in winter, she would never entertain missing a day of school. An accident caused her left side to be paralyzed but this only slowed her down; it never stopped her. Lois attended High School in Drumheller and staying at the ‘Dorm’ was what country kids did. After she graduated, it was on to the University of Alberta; where she received her Bachelor of Education in 1958. She taught mostly Math Class and started in Delburne, then the Red Deer Composite High School, and on to Kano, Nigeria, Africa from 1969 to 1974. Then it was back to Alberta, to Fox Creek, Hanna and then on to her pre-retirement years at Elnora, teaching of all things ‘Grade School’. There were many stories of her teaching techniques; such as using a Cribbage Board to count and memorize. Lois was a World traveller and she said the only two places she wished she had seen were Newfoundland and Fort McMurray. When Lois retired in 1987, she retired to Red Deer and lived on Oak Street. She stayed active in the ‘Lois Club’, Golden Circle, the Christian Science Reading Room, and swimming at the Dawe Centre until her declining health required her to move into the Villa Marie Care Facility in east Red Deer. Here, in her final days, she was well taken care of by all the staff, and weekly visits from her nephew, Randy and partner, Marcel, and her good friend, Barb, who kept her up to date with friends, family and the world. We will all have our own stories of Lois, but mostly that the word “can’t” was not in her vocabulary. Nothing ever stopped
her from achieving her goal. Her mind was always hungry for knowledge and to explore the world, no matter what the subject or place and of course her question ‘why’. She so loved all her nieces and nephews. At Christmas, her goal was to shop and make sure all those special people had something from ‘Aunt Lois’ to unwrap. There are many stories about ‘Aunt Lois’, or Miss McGhee. A Celebration of her Life was held at Parkland Funeral Home, 6287 – 67A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer, Alberta, on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. If desired, Memorial Donations in Lois’s honour may be made directly to a charity of the donor’s choice; as Lois supported many in Red Deer and Area. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com. Arrangements in care of Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, 6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040 or 1.800.481.7421.
