Lois Woolley

Lois Woolley (née Chanter) left us on January 16, 2026. Lois was born to Edward (Ted) and Vivien Chanter on June 15, 1940. Lois’s early childhood was marred by war, and the family evacuated several times. They finally settled in Devon, living at the school where her father was housemaster. Lois attended The Maynard School in Exeter where she excelled in math and sciences and made life-long friends.

After school Lois moved to London and met the love of her life, Peter. She was married at 20 and soon became the proud mother of baby Rachel. But life with a small child in a fifth-floor walk-up in Earl’s Court was challenging. In 1962, tempted by Peter’s brothers’ descriptions of life on the West Coast, they moved to British Columbia. Daughter Frances was born a few months later.

After welcoming their third child, Alice, the family moved to their beloved home on Queens Avenue. Lois transformed every room into a comfortable yet elegant space. After her daughters left home, Lois devoted herself to gardening, creating a breathtaking landscape, visited and admired at many open gardens. She lived at home until the end, drinking in the sunshine through the huge southwest facing windows, eating vegetables she grew herself, surrounded by her carefully polished silver and antiques. Yet her real treasures were pictures from her travels with Peter, photos of family, mementos of her family’s accomplishments (modestly relegated to the basement hallway) and a painting by her sister Ruth (in pride of place).

Canada is where Lois found her forever home. Her accent might have been British, but Lois’s heart was 100 percent Canadian. She embraced her adopted country. Her loved ones have fond memories of summer days at Dundarave beach, hikes on the North Shore mountains, skinny dipping in Lost Lake and camping trips to the BC Interior. As her children got older, the trips grew more adventurous – canoeing the Bowron Lakes and the Yukon River, hiking the West Coast Trail and cycling the San Juan Islands. Together Peter and Lois travelled the world: a safari to visit brother Richard in Africa, cycling in New Zealand, France and the UK, and trekking in Australia.

Lois cared deeply for her friends and family. She loved coffee after aquafit, her Tuesday afternoon sewing group and hiking with friends. She chatted on the phone regularly with her children and grandchildren, providing a listening ear and excellent advice. She treated each person in her family as important in their own right, finding shared interests and making time to enjoy them. Lois loved family gatherings and outings, especially to Theatre Under the Stars, Bard on the Beach and the opera. Conscientious and caring, Lois always remembered birthdays, sending one of her famous homemade cards, with a photo and message carefully chosen for the recipient.

Lois had boundless energy. At home she created zucchini relish and wedding dresses and everything in between. She had a genius for organization, forming an investment club with her friends, serving as President of the West Van Band and as a Girl Guide leader. She was a lifetime member of the West Vancouver Garden Club. Through her work she touched many people’s lives.

The last years of Lois’s life brought challenges. Peter’s health began to deteriorate, but through sheer force of will Lois cared for him at home throughout the Covid pandemic. She lost a part of herself when he died in 2022 but characteristically carried on. She continued to cook herself a proper dinner every day, and found joy in her family, her friendships, and her garden.

Lois was an ethical and good person. She might not always say the right thing, but she always strived to do the right thing. In her hospital bed, with just a few days to live, she asked her daughters to submit the December minutes and her monthly column for the garden club newsletter.

Lois could never bear to let anyone down, and she rarely did so – except the greatest letdown of all, her leaving us much too soon, when she was still so full of life and vigor.

Lois Woolley, June 15, 1940 to January 16, 2026. Lois is survived by her sister Ruth; sister-in-law Christine (David); her daughters Rachel (Arminder), Frances (David) and Alice (Gerry); grandchildren Leslie, Hilary (Nathaniel), Katherine (Jesse), Christopher (Jessica), Sasha, Emily and John; and her great-grandchildren Sebastien, Vivienne and Maxine. She was predeceased by her husband Peter, brother Richard, and great-grandson Red.

A celebration of life will be held at St Christopher’s Anglican Church in West Vancouver at 11 a.m. on Saturday January 31st, 2026. A lunch reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Nature Conservancy of Canada or a food bank in your community.