Lois Fontana

Lois Baxter Fontana, 92, of Daytona Beach, died on January 5, 2018, following a short illness. Lois always said it was a lady's prerogative to decide when to leave a party, and she left this one with her typical grace and in the company of her children and grandchildren. Born on November 8, 1925 in Roscoe, NY, she was a good student, bookish, and artistic. After graduating from high school, she attended the Traphagen School of Design in Manhattan, where she studied art and women's fashion design. On July 3, 1945, she married her high school sweetheart, Robert Fontana, who was recently discharged from naval service. Lois devoted herself to taking care of their family, which quickly included two children. After the children went to school, she began a career in banking, starting as a teller and retiring as a vice president during a time when many women did not hold professional positions. She continued to balance work and a family that eventually included a third child. Lois enjoyed gardening, singing in her church choir and in a women's barbershop group and square dancing. She continued her interest in design and pattern making by sewing and knitting for herself and her family. Her four grandsons were often seen wearing beautiful outfits and sweaters made by hand. Her favorite pastime was always traveling, whether on car trips with her young family to visit state or national parks or on multiple international trips with her children, her husband, various friends and family members. She visited dozens of countries on five continents and enjoyed nothing more than planning the next trip, having just returned from the last. While traveling the world, Lois particularly appreciated the varied artistic traditions she encountered and expressed this in collecting boxes, paperweights, and pitchers on her travels. In 1980, soon after Lois and Bob retired, they moved to St. Augustine, FL. In retirement, Lois was able to take up many of the interests she had as a child including reading and card playing, learning to play contract bridge after moving to Florida. In 2000, she and Bob moved to Ormond Beach where she was an active member of the New Horizons Club of Daytona Beach. Since Bob's death, Lois has lived at Bishop's Glen, a retirement community where she continued her love of reading, bridge, and mostly the companionship of many new and dear friends, along with the proximity and attention of her eldest daughter. Lois will be remembered by everyone who knew her as unfailingly polite, kind, and thoughtful. Her flexible mind allowed her to see multiple sides of any issue and she was oten a master of compromise. She was deeply loved by her husband of 67 years, her children and grandchildren and the many friends she kept over her entire life as well as those she made in recent years. Lois is predeceased by her parents, Clyde and Geraldine Baxter, her brothers, Gene (Mary) Baxter and Gerald (Doreen) Baxter, her grandson, Xeno Taylor-Fontana, nephew Ward Baxter and her son-in-law Jerry Marvin. She is survived by her children, Gary (Denise Silver) Fontana of Pebble Beach, CA, Sharon Marvin of Ormond Beach, Florida, and Kim (Calista Smith) Fontana of Bethel, CT; her grandsons, Brent (Aileen) Fontana of Boulder, CO, Ryan (Halle) Fontana of St. Augustine, FL and Todd Taylor of NY, NY; her brother-in-law and sister-in law, Ted and Barbara Fontana of Monticello, NY and Hobe Sound, Florida, her sister-in-law, Doreen Baxter of Nelson, PA and her sister-in-law, Rita Fontana of Livingston Manor, NY; five great grandchildren, twelve nieces and nephews, as well as many close and caring friends. The family plans a private service in the summer. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may make a donation in her memory to Habitat for Humanity or a charity of their choice.