Lois Anne Kiefer Pearce , April 25, 1939 — April 26, 2018

Lois Anne Kiefer Pearce passed away on April 26 after a brief illness. She was born in Milwaukee, WI on April 25, 1939 to Richard Kiefer and Anne Marie (Glazer) Kiefer. The family moved to Richmond, VA where Lois attended St. Benedict Elementary School and St. Gertrude’s High School.

She graduated in 1960 from Notre Dame College in Baltimore with a BA in English. Lois’ first career was in retailing, and it took her to Raleigh, NC, Lexington, KY, Tallahassee, FL, Mobile, AL, and to Jackson, MS. In mid-life, she took the courageous step to follow her dream of being an educator, and she obtained additional degrees at Jackson State.

She found her passion at Brandon Elementary School teaching special education. She was an accomplished classical pianist early in life. While in Kentucky, she bought a banjo and studied with J. D. Crowe.

She was a docent at the Jackson Zoo for many years and delighted in sharing her knowledge of animals. Lois’ spirituality was a sustaining force in her life. Her church and her church family at St. Jude parish were very important to her.

She was an active volunteer at the church and was instrumental in starting a new catechesis program there. She had a sense of adventure, too. She traveled to Europe, and later fulfilled a life-long desire to go to Egypt and Israel.

Not stopping there, she next went on an African safari. Her travels were limited only by her declining health, but that didn’t prevent her from planning the next adventure. Lois is survived by her sister, Mary Beth Patten, her niece and nephew Emily and Nicholas Vasile, Paddy the parrot, and Callie the cat.

She is also survived by her closest friend, Molly Hoke, to whom her family will always be grateful for being such a good friend. Visitation will be Wednesday May 2 from 5 – 7 pm, at Ott & Lee in Brandon, followed by a rosary at 7. A memorial service will be held at St. Jude Catholic Church in Pearl at 11 am Thursday, May 3.

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