Lois Dickason Young, a beloved mother, grandmother, and visionary leader, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2024, at the age of 88. A long-time resident of Princeton, NJ, Deer Isle, Maine, and Penney Farms, FL, she leaves a legacy of compassion, dedication, and service that touched countless lives across the globe.
Born in Burma to missionary parents, Lois was an adventurer from the start. She attended the Kodaikanal International School in India from an early age. She attended The College of Wooster and Case Western University School of Nursing and earned her Masters from Columbia Teachers College. Lois supplemented her education by working at Camp Green Lake, in Wisconsin. While waiting tables there, she spied a tall busboy with a welcoming smile. It didn’t take long for Lois and Jack to realize they were meant to be. They married during the winter break of their senior years in college in December 1957.
Jack, it turns out, had as much (or more) of an adventurous streak. The newlyweds spent their ‘honeymoon’ as fire lookouts in a mountaintop cabin in Glacier National Park. Thus the stage was set for a lifetime of wonder.
In the late 1950’s Lois was a visiting nurse to underprivileged new mothers in Harlem. While raising her three children, Jennifer, David, and Charles, she (and Jack) attended Riverside Church and were active in civil rights protests. Later, attention turned to Vietnam War protests. Always standing with and speaking out for those less fortunate.
Lois’ life was so accomplished that it cannot be done justice within the boundaries of this notice. She was a nurse to the underprivileged. As a visionary, nationally recognized educator and school leader, Lois co-founded the Newgrange School and coordinated countless professional development conferences that opened the doors for a better understanding of learning different students. Once retired (but not done working), she became involved with the Prison Literacy Project at Trenton State Prison where she taught inmates to read. Finally, Lois was reunited with her birth country, Burma (now Myanmar) where she helped to start Cetana Educational Foundation, a foundation dedicated to teaching English to local people throughout the country. As a part of this work, Lois and Jack led trips to the amazing sites in-country for more than 20 years.
Lois’ faith in God was important to her. She was particularly involved and active member at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ.
A leader. A supporter of others. Lois could talk to anyone (and often did!) and find something interesting to report. She was a connector and intensely interested in helping others to succeed. As one of her former colleagues said, “Lois Young was one of the sweetest nicest people that I’ve ever met in my life, but she was also one of the toughest and her legacy still lives.”
For all of her professional accomplishments, Lois’ true joy came from her family. Her family; Jennifer and Jim Suddath, David and Melaina Young, and Charlie and Georgann Young, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her ‘happy place’ was the family home on Deer Isle, Maine where she baked, sewed, and painted rocks with her family.
Services to celebrate Lois’ life are yet to be planned. For those who feel inclined, donations may be made to Cetana Educational Foundation.
To donate online: http://cetena.org/donate/
To donate by mail:
Cetana Educational Foundation
487 Jefferson Road
Princeton, NJ 08540