Lois Jean Lopez

Lois Jean Lopez passed away on April 23, 2015 in Shelley, Idaho, at age 92.

She was was born on June 22, 1922 in Ellensburg, Washington to Tom and Anita Mosman Rollinger.  The family later moved to Tacoma, WA.

After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1940, Lois married the dashing Reuben D. Lopez (Rudy) on January 13, 1944.  His Army service took them to New York City and Kansas; afterward they returned to Tacoma for the birth of their son Daryl in 1945.

While Reuben worked for the railroad, and then for many years at the City of Tacoma, Lois elevated homemaking to an art form.  She was an excellent cook and a stylish dresser. Lois was also special in that she had one blue and one brown eye! She was very creative in decorating her beloved home on Starr St. in Old Town Tacoma with her weavings, paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and pottery. She was keenly interested in the history of Old Town, and also proud of the Rollinger

’s Ellensburg roots and legacy at the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Her home, which she owned for 57 years, was one of the earliest in Tacoma, having been built in 1890.  She supported the arts and historical organizations in Tacoma, and enjoyed close friendships with many neighbors. 

She was a frequent visitor to the Tacoma Public Library and the Point Defiance Zoo. Lois

 was a faithful member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.  She and Rudy had an active social life as members of the Elks and the Tacoma Yacht Club.  They spent many winters in Southern California at the Fountain of Youth Spa, and travelled to Mexico, Spain, and Hawaii.  They fully embraced life, with a passion for jazz and dance. When Rudy passed away in 1988, Lois remained in her home  until she was 89, and then moved to eastern Idaho to be near her son Daryl and daughter-in-law Nancy.

Lois is survived by Daryl and Nancy; two grandsons, Michael  (Autumn) of Boise, ID and Gregory (Deborah) of Vancouver, WA,  and two little great grand-daughters, Neah Cay and Isabella Rose.

Interment will be the Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma and a celebration of life will be planned.

The family would like to thank the staff of Shelley Gables Assisted Living and Hands of Hope Hospice for their steady kindness while Lois was in their care.

Memorial gifts to the Tacoma Historical Society or the Kittitas County Museum would be gratefully received.