Lois A. Herbert

Lois Anne Herbert passed away early Friday morning at Durham Regional Hospital after a brief illness.
Born of the Midwest, a child of the depression, she became the quintessential post WWII wife, mother and friend. Born in Toledo, Ohio to salt salesman Herbert Sherman Watkins and school teacher Annie Mabel Lawton Watkins, an early move took her to Lansing, Michigan where she would meet her future husband, George Richard Herbert Jr. in elementary school. Friends for years, George graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, 1945, and she from the University of Michigan, 1944, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. They married in 1945 in Norfolk, VA as George headed to join the Pacific fleet for the duration of the war. Upon George’s return, career opportunities lead them from Palo Alto, CA, to Stamford, CT, and ultimately to Durham, NC. Lois Anne was a caring, spirited and supportive partner in George’s lifelong career as founding president of the Research Triangle Institute.
Lois Anne and George were early active members of St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Durham. Lois Anne was a committed civic advocate and volunteer. Her tireless energies helped in the successes of the former Allied Arts (Durham Arts Council), the Durham Historic Preservation Society, The Historic Stagville Foundation, the Annual Durham Academy Book Fair, and the Girl Scouts of America, to name a few.
Family was pivotal to Lois Anne. An only child whose mother died when she was a teenager, she was a devoted, loving daughter, friend and caregiver to her father who lived with the family until his death in 1966. She shared a love of sports with her father that carried on throughout her life, except for baseball of course. She and husband George were charter members of the Iron Dukes, and she declared her allegiance to Duke with stickers of all sorts on every vehicle she ever owned, confusing to some with her MICH-44 vanity plate, but that was Lois Anne. The plate still hangs on her Duke blue walker.
She was preceded in death by her best friend and husband George, and her dearest friends, too many to list. It is certain she’s enjoying an afternoon sherry with them all at the time of this writing.
Throughout the past few years, she showed those around her how to face personal challenges with grace, dignity and above all good humor. Her cherished memory is shared by her children, none of whom could stray far for long from their wonderful mom: Gordon Bruce Herbert, and wife, Corinna of Durham, Patricia Anne Herbert Acrey and husband, Don of Mebane, Alison (Bunny) Herbert Satterfield and husband, Donnie of Durham, Douglas Sherman (Casey) Herbert and wife, Kathleen (Kathy) Bennett of Durham, and Margaret Anne (Meg) Herbert Roach and husband, Barry of Charlotte; her grandchildren, Amy Lawton Satterfield Lineberger, Courtney Anne Satterfield and Brian Christopher Satterfield, Clinton Patrick Acrey, Bradford Herbert Acrey, Caroline Todd Herbert, Emily Elizabeth Herbert and Benjamin Davis Roach; great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Anne Acrey, Ava Ray Satterfield and Owen Alexander Herbert-Reader.
The last two years of her life were blessed with the wonderful friendship, and remarkable care given by Audrey King of Cary. The family is at a loss of words of gratitude for all the love and assistance she provided to “Miss Lois”.
A private memorial will be held by the family at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family requests you make someone you know feel special today, as Lois Anne Herbert did every day of her wonderful life.