COLUMBUS
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Lois Robison Friend passed away at home on December 8 in Columbus. Surrounded by family and against the backdrop of a dazzling Indiana sunset, Lois concluded an exuberantly lived life and a determined twenty-one-month contest with metastatic cancer. (Astute readers will notice the absence of a birth date herein; to Lois, age was “just a number” – and, in her case, a number that shall remain undisclosed by her family under threat of perpetual haunting.)
The second of five children, Lois was born at home to Carol and Giles Robison on the family cattle and tobacco farm in Rocklane, Indiana. After a few years in Franklin, the family settled on an apple orchard in Boggstown. Perhaps the frequent moves are what seeded Lois’s lifelong wanderlust; she was on-the-go from a young age, recurrently taking day-long expeditions on foot or roller-skate or by bicycle into nearby towns, younger siblings in tow.
In spite of winning the local jitterbug contest, Lois yearned for more than what Boggstown had to offer. She successfully lobbied to spend her senior year of high school with her uncle’s family in Wooster, Ohio, where she took the lead in the school play and garnered accolades in the Prince of Peace contest as a member of the National Forensic League.
Next, she attended Franklin College, where she proudly pledged Pi Beta Phi just as her mother had. An avid reader of Vogue magazine, Lois soon set her sights on New York City’s Barbizon School of Modeling and hopped a train to Penn Station.
Lois relished the excitement and independence of her life in New York. While attending Barbizon, she worked in Lord & Taylor’s lingerie department (where she brushed elbows with notable shoppers such as Joan Fontaine and Greta Garbo), and eventually took to the catwalk as a runway model for the wholesale fashion industry.
Taking full advantage of her time in Manhattan, each Sunday, Lois would volunteer at the Traveler’s Aid Society. “Jitterbug Lois” was delighted to discover an abundance of dance partners as a volunteer with the All World Service Canteen where it was her duty to swing-dance with servicemen away from home – and where she routinely ignored the strict “no dating” policy.
In a patriotic effort to see more of the world, Lois joined the WAVES, the U.S. Navy’s corps of female members. After boot camp at Hunter College in NYC, she was assigned to the Transportation Department in Bainbridge, MD. She ended her tour of duty as Seaman First Class in the Officers Separation Center in D.C.
Her next adventure took her to southern California where she would spend the following twenty years of her life. She easily adapted to her new Beverly Hills lifestyle. She traveled the west, flew to Hawaii – twice – on the Pan Am Stratocruiser for surfing lessons at the Halekulani Hotel, and joined her first husband on hunting and fishing expeditions. In her iconic style, she once stunned fellow expeditioner and legendary Disney animator, Milt Kahl, when she emerged from a bush plane in British Columbia wearing a stylish Adrian suit, mink stole and heels.
It was in California that Lois discovered her passion for golf. She became a keen competitor in Los Angeles area golf leagues and would go on to further perfect her game as a half-century-long member of the Harrison Lake Country Club (where she achieved at least one of the holes-in-one in her career).
Most importantly, it was during a Woodland Hills Country Club golf tournament that Lois met her enduring love, John Friend. Not only did they share a true love of the game and a genuine appreciation for a good martini, Lois’s authentic laugh was the perfect complement to John’s quick and witty sense of humor. They married in 1962, combining their families into one, joyful bunch.
To be closer to extended family and to pursue an independent business opportunity, they moved their “his, mine and ours” family to Columbus in early 1968. They joined North Christian Church where Lois taught Sunday school and later became members of First United Methodist Church. Lois also served as an architectural tour guide after the Columbus Visitor’s Center opened in 1973.
When they weren’t nurturing their growing family and managing Smart & Johnson Abstract & Title Company, consummate hosts Lois and John gathered their myriad friends at their Harrison Lake home for frequent dinner parties. John’s penchant for potent cocktails and Lois’s skills in the kitchen created the perfect atmosphere for celebration, sometimes sparking guests to break into live music jam sessions.
Ageless as ever, the years did nothing to dampen Lois’s dynamic lifestyle. In 2014, she moved south to her winter playground, Fort Myers, FL, where she was dubbed “Sunshine” by her friends at Lexington Country Club for her ability to light up any room with her beauty and buoyant disposition. Harkening back to her jitterbug roots, she regularly danced to live jazz at the Roadhouse Cafe. And for those who might worry that Lois ever had to give up her golf game, fear not. Just two years ago, she shot an 87 at LCC.
Lois will be remembered for her unwavering optimism, her fearless adventurous spirit, her spontaneous nature, her fierce independence, her baffling ability to be ever camera-ready, and certainly as the proud matriarch of her family.Perhaps her greatest role was that of “Nanny.” Her grandchildren anxiously awaited their overnights and vacations with her.Waking to a never-ending breakfast, most notably her pancakes. She gathered her loved ones often and everywhere. From coast to coast, there was always a seat at Lois’s table. Her kitchen was a sacred place from which she served elegant meals as an expression of her love.
Lois’s motto was simple and profound: “Love life and it will love you back.” Lois and life had a spectacular love affair, to be sure.
Lois is survived by her children, Bart (Kae) Friend, Carla (David) Van Kalsbeek and Lisa (David) Westenberger; by her stepchildren, Karol (Barry) Ruderman, Craig (Mila) Friend, and Bryan (Carol) Friend; by her sister, Janet Moore of Plainfield; by her many grandchildren and step-grandchildren; and by a host of other friends and relatives. Lois was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, John Friend in 2005, and by her brothers Eugene, James and Donald Robison.
A celebration of Lois’s life will manifest at Harrison Lake Country Club in June when we hope to unmask and rejoice visibly. Beware of Stingers. Details will follow.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the A. John and Lois Friend Memorial Fund at the Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County. Please remember when dining out to savor your cocktail and conversation before placing your dinner order. Lois would insist. #LiveLikeLois
