Obituary of Lois Rose Lynch

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On Friday, June 19, 2020, 4:01 PM, Lois Rose Lynch of Reston, VA, loving mother, sister, and grandmother passed away at the age of 83.

Lois was born on September 21, 1936 in Farmington, MN to Arthur John and Elizabeth Josephine Smithberger. At a young age, Lois had a passion for ballroom dancing and music. She came to Washington D.C and began her illustrious career as an enthusiastic civil servant. She always had a dedicated, meticulous work ethic. During the 1950s-60s she supported offices in the Small Business Administration and the State Department. Then she tried her hand at the private sector supporting IEPA in D.C. – a small tight knit office that depended on her and appreciated all she did. She returned to the Federal Government in 1986 and enjoyed an additional 18 years at the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, in the office of Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere. One of the highlights of her time spent there was supporting the key players working on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She loved that office and the people she worked with and would not have left – only wanted to give up the daily commute.  Not one to just stop working, she even volunteered for a short time at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, where her daughter Jackie and granddaughter Jasmine both currently work. She did some interesting support work for the Board of Geographic Names, just for fun, which naturally correlated with her love of maps, travel, and even proof-reading.

Everyone knew Lois was smart but she was actually gifted. She scored an IQ of 137 which put her in the top 1% of the population and was offered membership in the American Mensa Society. She also enjoyed gardening and baking, made heavenly bread and pizza second to none. Lois combined two of her favorite hobbies, history and travel, to visit several National Parks all over the U.S with her family and signed up for day trips with the Reston Community Center whenever she could. NYC was one of her favorite destinations as well as Rehoboth Beach and Judy’s spot in Rodanthe. She appreciated interesting artwork, a beautiful necklace, a nice meal with her extended family, and a fine piece of chocolate.  Lois loved watching a good tennis match or an exciting horse race and more recently developed a passion for discussing her beloved Steelers with Christopher or Eileen or anyone else who would listen. She was also an avid dance and music lover, especially Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Elvis, and just any good ol rock and roll and the blues. She was known for her ability to debate, love of family, and endless generosity – always selflessly putting others first.

Lois is survived by her daughter Jacqueline; four Grandchildren, Christopher, Tony, Jasmine, Jessica; 1 Great-Granddaughter Jolene. Her dearly loved sisters: Judy (and her 2 daughters, Kim and her husband Rich, Kelly and her husband John and both their families); Eileen (and her children Julie, Sherry, Vicki, and Danny and their families); Donna (and her husband Jeff); Marilyn (and her partner Doug); and her highly thought of brother Richard (and his wife Pat plus their 2 kids Anna and Ben and his wife Emily) plus many more in-laws, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, friends and family, too numerous to list but absolutely cherished. Lois was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Betty and Jean. 

The family will receive friends on Friday, July 3 from 1pm to 2pm at Adams-Green Funeral Home where a memorial service will held following the visitation.  The service may be watched remotely by clicking on the link above.

In lieu of flowers, all Lois and her family wanted was a cure for atypical Parkinson’s. Donations may be made to any charity supporting that cause like the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.