Lois Marie Scavo

Lois was born March 9th, 1927 in Iowa. Growing up on a farm with four sisters, Lois preferred spending time outside, working with the animals and doing family chores. She was recruited out of high school to work for the FBI as a fingerprint technician, where she learned to read, classify, and search fingerprints in criminal files. Her first time seeing a stop light was when she first arrived by train in Washington DC. At a military dance, Lois met Anthony John Scavo, who she married on May 28th, 1948 in Washington DC. The following February they moved to San Diego, traveling by train. Education is one of Lois' core values, for herself and for others. She ironed the clothes for thirteen families in order to pay for her tuition and books at Grossmont College in San Diego. Later in 1977, she graduated from Pepperdine University with a master's degree in education. Lois was a 1st grade teacher for most of her career. From 1966 to 1972, she taught at Baker Elementary, an all-black school. Most of the kids had low self-esteem, oftentimes because of unstable family situations. Grandma loved these students and still remembers their individual stories. Later, the school transitioned to all-black teachers and staff, so grandma transferred to Gage Elementary, and then to a magnet school. There, she taught reading and math, and really enjoyed working with Japanese foreign exchange students, most of whom did not speak English. She retired early in 1984 to take care of her husband, who was sick with Alzheimer's disease. Christianity is central to Lois' life. She has strong faith in God and relies on her church community. Being a mother to Janice and Tony, and a grandmother to Michael, Stephanie, and Angela, has also been central to Lois' sense of purpose. Traveling throughout the United States and the world has been one of life's greatest joys. Lois has spent weeks in the American National Parks, traveling by motor home. She crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and toured New England to admire the fall foliage. Lois has spent months abroad, with memorable destinations including Japan, Holland, Israel, Western Europe, and the Panama Canal. For historical context, Lois was 10 years younger than John F. Kennedy. She remembers that it was during World War II that the American economy improved substantially. Everyone had jobs related to the war, including hers with the FBI. During the Cold War/Cuban Missile Crisis, she remembers people building bomb shelters out of fear of an attack. Thank you, Lois, for leading an honorable and charitable life, while showing an incredible ability to adapt to the changing world around you. We love and appreciate you

Lois Marie Scavo

June 7, 2023