Lois Catherine Downs

Lois Catherine Downs passed away peacefully at her Saugus home on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Lois entered this world in Marion, Ohio as Lois Longacre, the second of Ted and Maude Longacre's four children.

On Groundhog's Day in 1940, Lois Longacre married Bob Downs of Martel, Ohio, and the following year, their first-born, Gary, arrived. After WW II, the family settled in Xenia, Ohio, where Bob was music director of the local high school and Gary was joined by Dave, then Andy and finally Cindy. In 1961, Bob became the band director at Hart High and the family moved to the Santa Clarita Valley – we just called it Newhall in those days. Lois loved her life here in the SCV, watching her family grow, and playing bridge with her friends.

Lois was preceded in death by granddaughters Catherine and Leah Abernethy and Ingrid Downs, her son Gary, and our Grand Old Man, Bob. Lois leaves behind her "baby" brother, Kenneth Dean Longacre of Peachtree City, Georgia, children Cindy (Michael) Abernethy, Andy (Peggy) Downs, David (June) Downs, Gary's wife Barbara Downs, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Mom, as the old song says, "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day." We love you.

The family will host an informal memorial at Bob and Lois' Saugus home on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm. In place of flowers, we invite you to make a charitable contribution to Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The American Lung Association of California, or the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. For more information, please contact (661) 305-0843.

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Published in Santa Clarita Valley Signal from Mar. 10 to Mar. 13, 2010.