Lois McCorkle

1927 - 2016

OBERLIN — Lois Annette (nee Pake) McCorkle, born Feb. 8, 1927, died on Jan. 23, 2016, in Oberlin Ohio, at the age of 88.

Lois was the loving and beloved wife of the late Hugh Fagnani McCorkle, to whom she was married for 62 years. She was the daughter of Charles Edward Pake and Gladys (Thornton) Pake, and the sister of the late Cheryl G. Alexich (wife of Milton P. Alexich). Lois was the mother of Georgianna Lynn McCorkle, who predeceased her, of Martha Ruth (McCorkle) Morgan, wife of David Morgan, and of Daniel Charles McCorkle, and she was the grandmother of Benjamin Morgan, Evelyn McCorkle, and Julianna McCorkle.

Lois was born in Akron, Ohio, and grew up on the Portage Lakes in Coventry Township. She entered Oberlin College in 1943 at the age of 16 and met her future husband when he returned to Oberlin after the war. Lois and Hugh graduated from college in 1947 and then attended medical school together at Western Reserve University. They were married in 1949. After completing internships in Durham, N.C., they returned to Cleveland, where they raised their family in Cleveland Heights, in a home full of caregivers and students who became family and friends. Lois conducted hematology research at the University Hospital under Dr. George Badger and alongside Dr. Russell Weisman; her quantitative skills and penchant for organization led her into biostatics as that field entered the computer age and she worked as a biostatistician for University Hospitals for many years. In the early 1980s, Lois became interested in hospital utilization and health care management; she earned an MBA from the Weatherhead School at Case Western Reserve University and worked as an arbitrator with her mentor, Dallas Young.

Lois was a devoted mother, grandmother, and aunt. She was thoughtful, kind, determined, and tireless in her care for her family and those around her. Lois was a patient homework supervisor for her children and an excellent and inquisitive cook, planning and preparing remarkable meals on a daily basis. In 1993, Lois and Hugh moved from Cleveland Heights to the Kendal at Oberlin retirement community, where they lived with many friends, old and new, and where Lois became an avid fan of LeBron James and of maple syrup.

A celebration of Lois' life will be arranged later in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland, 10011 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106; or to the Residents Assistance Fund at Kendal at Oberlin, 600 Kendal Dr., Oberlin, OH 44074).

Arrangements handled by Malloy-Esposito Crematory and Funeral Home, Cleveland, Ohio.