Lois Disney

1930 - 2007

Lois Disney, beloved wife of Ralph Lynde Disney, Jr.; mother of Lynn D. Disney (Rolf K. Taylor), Carrie M. Disney and Edward C. Disney (deceased) and grandmother of John (Jack) Sivinski, Keith Sivinski, Tiffany Miatech, Maxwell Miller, Patrick Miller and Spencer Miller, died in Baltimore, Maryland on December 3, 2007. She was visiting with her sister-in-law, Patricia M. Piazza, when she suffered a stroke. Lois was born May 20, 1930, as Lois Loghry DuFrain, in Pontiac, Michigan, where her father Frank was superintendent of schools. She completed high school work in three years with high honors and then moved on to the University of Michigan, where she graduated in three years with honors as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Upon graduation, she took a job as a junior engineer at the Willow Run Research Institute in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She then moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida (now Kennedy Space Center), where she worked as an engineer. In 1954 she was admitted to the graduate program in industrial engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where she was one of the first female graduate students. There she met and married Ralph Disney on January 14, 1955. They were married for 53 years. She dedicated the rest of her life to raising her three children, gardening, doing volunteer work and other intellectual pursuits. For much of her life she was an avid gardener. Her home in Blacksburg won second prize for its garden. She was active at various times in the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the League of Women Voters and the Democratic party. She was an incessant reader and was the founder of a readers group in Blacksburg. She was a world traveller, accompanying Ralph on his various teaching activities. She spent three years in Brazil, one year in New Zealand, six months in Japan and a month in both Thailand and Singapore. Other trips of shorter duration took her to the major cities in Europe and the Middle East. While in New Zealand, at the age of 65, she took up tandem skydiving. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Lois DuFrain Disney to the Johns Hopkins University, Dean Robert Roy Fellowship Endowment, an endowment to assist engineering students. The fund was established in recognition of Rob Roy, former dean of the School of Engineering. To donate by phone, contact Paula Aaronson at 410-516-3401, or by mail to Development Information Systems, Attn: Paula Aaronson, Suite 2500, 201 N Charles Street, Baltimore, Md., 21201.