Lois Chandler Stack

Lois was born to Charles F. and Louise R. Chandler in Berwyn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, the first of two sisters in the family. She met her future husband through weekend dances at Morton High School and working on the school’s weekly newspaper. They became very close, but were determined to complete college before marrying. She attended Morton Junior College and graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1954 with a degree in Spanish and a close circle of roommates that became lifelong friends.

Five days after graduation she married James J. Stack, her high school sweetheart, and began a family and 63 years of adventures together until his passing in 2016. With her husband drafted into the Army after graduation and stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, she stayed behind to give birth to their first son but eventually reunited the young family in Germany and visited other parts of Europe. She soon learned that her newborn’s magnetic personality was the best key for unlocking local knowledge in unfamiliar surroundings.

Returning to the U.S. they eventually settled in Columbus, Ohio after the birth of their second son and she supported Jay’s pursuit of master’s and doctorate degrees with her invaluable skills as an editor and typist in addition to maintaining a household with two young sons. With the new degrees in hand, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1966 for a new opportunity and first home of their own. Lois managed family life while cultivating her many interests including gardening and landscaping in her new yard, voracious reading, family vacations, and enjoying music, art, and theater.

Within a few years she was able to resume her education and received her own master’s and doctorate degrees in Psychology from George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville in 1970 and 1972 respectively.

In 1972 they moved to Fayetteville, New York for new positions at Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse, New York, where she eventually rose to Director of Research in social psychology, preparing research on mental health and emotional stress. Later she became Associate Professor of Psychology at Syracuse University and an instructor at the Upstate Medical Center School of Nursing, sharing her knowledge with nursing students to assist them in providing the most effective care. Both in academic and clinical settings, she was easy-going but direct.

Her new home offered more opportunities for designing gardens that she gradually expanded into beautiful landscapes with a particular focus on flowers, especially roses. She served as president of the Syracuse Rose Society for several years. She was an active member of the Social Arts club of Syracuse and enjoyed studying artists and sharing her knowledge with fellow members. Lois’s love of art also led her to become a Docent at the Everson Museum in Syracuse.

After retiring, she turned her interest in preserved flowers into a business, Almost Spring Flowers. She also cultivated a wealth of friends who shared her interests and enjoyed many different social engagements with them. She loved seeing children grow, learn, and play. The arrival of her grandchildren provided countless hours of enjoyment while she supported and encouraged them to bloom. Lois and Jay also loved to travel and together they explored over 30 countries from Europe to Japan and South America. Being an avid gardener, she loved to include famous gardens in her travel itineraries.

In 2014, Jay and Lois moved to the Atrium at the Cedars in Portland, Maine. Lois was naturally inquisitive and a lifelong learner. She had a passion and appreciation for visual and performing arts. During her years there, she enjoyed taking Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) classes. She often attended theater performances and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, visited art museums and took advantage of the many activities, outings, and friendships available at the Atrium. She was a strong, talented, intelligent woman who raised two caring sons with love and understanding.

Lois was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, James J. Stack, and will be lovingly missed by her son, James Steven. and daughter-in-law, Lin Lorenz of Naperville, Illinois; son, Terence R. and daughter-in-law, Gail Schwarzer of South Portland, Maine; grandson Andrew Stack and his wife Becca Coyne Stack and Lois’s first great-grandchild Liam of Cary, Illinois; grandchildren Katelyn Stack of Chicago, Allison Stack of Boston, and Elliot Stack of Chicago; sister Barbara Chandler Hager and brother-in-law Ronald Hager of Portland, Maine; sister-in-law Bette Eilers; and many nieces and nephews spread across the USA.

A family celebration of her life is planned for summer. Lois loved supporting arts, theater, women’s rights, and progressive causes. Memorial gifts in her honor could be made to any of these wherever it would improve our world, or her particular favorites:

Good Theater

76 Congress Street

Portland, ME 04101,

online at goodtheater.com

Syracuse Rose Society, ℅ Sonia Kragh, Treasurer

107 Cross Road,

Syracuse, NY 13224

online at syracuserosesociety.org.