Obituary: Lois O. (Bailey) Church

GARDINER – Lois O. (Bailey) Church died peacefully on January 21, 2023 in Augusta, surrounded by her family.

Born February 15, 1927 in South Gardiner, the third of four daughters to Roy and Charlotte (MacArthur) Bailey.

She attended schools in South Gardiner, graduating from Gardiner High School in 1944 and from the University of Maine Orono in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She attended Hickox Secretarial School in Boston, Mass, the next year. and a year later was employed by the Smith-Moreland Engineering Company. Lois met the love of her life, Jim Church, while attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating, they returned to Gardiner and were married in May 1952.

Lois was a strong believer in her religious beliefs and was an active and dedicated member of the Gardiner Highland Avenue United Methodist Church for over 60 years.

She was a dedicated poll worker at Gardiner for many years.

She loved the experience of traveling around the world with Jim. After his death in 1989, she continued these journeys with her adult children and grandchildren.

An avid reader and excellent cook, her other passions were bridge and scrabble, gardening and knitting, but what she most valued was spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Lois was deceased by her husband; their parents; her sisters Barbara Waters and Miriam “Mim” Walton; and her special childhood friends Helen Webster and Joyce Baker.

She is survived by her sister Joan Cutting of Sandpoint, Idaho; her children Janice Bridgeo (Bill), Mary Ellen Dennis (Matt), Robert Church (Elizabeth), and Jeffrey Church (Kim); grandsons Ben Church, Emily Stowers, Laura Church, Will Bridgeo, Claire Bridgeo, Nina Dennis, Jimmy Church, Andrew Church; great-grandchildren Anika Church, Leena Church, Charlotte Church and Drew Church, Alex Stowers and Isaac Stowers; as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their gratitude for the care and compassion of the staff at MVH and the nurses and staff at Beacon Hospice who looked after her in her final days.

A private family celebration of Lois’ life will take place at a later date.

The arrangements are entrusted to Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner. The obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, http://www.staplesfuneralhome.com, allows condolences, reminiscences and photos to be shared with the family

In lieu of flowers, we are asking family and friends to donate on behalf of Lois to:

Gardiner Public Library

152 water street

Gardiner, ME04345

OR

Highland Ave. United Methodist Church

31 Highland Avenue.

Gardiner, ME04345