Lois Wright Brown died on November 27, 2022 in Concord, NH at the age of 104. She was born on April 3, 1918, in Hanover, NH. Her parents were William Kelley Wright, a Dartmouth College professor of philosophy, and Gertrude B. Wright, a part-time genealogist active in local affairs. Lois grew up in Hanover with her brother Stanley. When she was nine years old her family spent a semester in Paris where she attended school. She remembered being driven to Girl Scout camp along Loudon Road in Concord when it was still countryside, and recalled lots of open farm land throughout the state before it was allowed to grow up again in trees. She loved to ride on back routes along dirt roads, and seldom got lost.
After graduating from Hanover High School, Lois went to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. During the summers she was a counselor at Aloha Camp in Fairlee, Vermont. She graduated from college with a degree in history in 1938, and then on to Yale University for a year before moving to Massachusetts, where she married Sanborn C. Brown, a graduate student in physics. Sandy stayed on to teach at MIT. Lois’ brother Stan died in combat in the Pacific in 1943. Lois and Sandy and their three children lived in Lexington for many years where they were both involved in local politics and active in Follen Community Church (Unitarian). Lois was also involved with the League of Women Voters and was a regional coordinator for the AFS international student exchange program, hosting two students at different times for an academic year. Lois and Sandy loved to travel, and took the family on extended summer trips to Puerto Rico and Scandinavia. After the children left home they also traveled together to other destinations in Europe, and to Argentina and Lebanon, where Sandy had spent his childhood. After Sandy’s retirement from MIT they moved to Henniker, NH. Referring to her return to New Hampshire, Lois said, “I always was a New Hampshire girl!”.
After Sandy’s death in 1981, Lois stayed on in Henniker, serving on the planning board and the Central NH Regional Planning Commission, participating in the leadership of the Concord UU church, and developing her talents in oil painting. In 1992 she moved to Havenwood Heritage Heights in Concord, NH. Lois continued her love of traveling well into her late eighties visiting Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the American west.
During many summers, Lois hosted children and grandchildren for a week at Star Island off the coast of Portsmouth, NH. She also visited them often, developing warm relationships with her grandchildren who fondly remember her quirky sense of humor and the wonderful stories of her childhood.
While living at Havenwood Heritage Heights Lois became an impressive pool player and continued her enjoyment of word games with her friends. She also loved to read and study maps and follow current events and world affairs.
Lois was predeceased by her brother Stanley P. Wright, husband Sanborn C. Brown, and son Stanley W. Brown. She is survived by her son Peter (Nancy) and daughter Prudence (Robert), eight grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren.
Her memorial service will occur sometime in the spring. Donations in her memory may be made to Star Island Annual Fund https://starisland.org/donate or the AFS Global Impact Fund https://afs.org/donate/.
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