Lois Winifred Harper

Lois W. (Myers) Harper, 91, of Newport, passed away on April 22, 2019, in Newport.Lois was born on April 3, 1928, in Altavista, VA, to the late Henry Myers and the late Louise (Minnis) Phillips.Lois attended hairdressing school in Washington, DC and was proficient at cutting short hair. She then moved to New York for a short time before following her mother to Newport where she married and literally fell in love with the city. She worked out of her home for three decades as a hairdresser, acquiring so many friendships from local ladies, summer employees and many, many military wives. Lois worked as a matron at the Thompson Middle School for over 20 years. Lois loved the teachers and especially the children, whom she readily gave lunch money to those in need.Lois was an avid bowler for at least thirty years. When Aquidneck Lanes closed, she went on to a league on the base. Her family cherished receiving knitted garments and enjoying her delicious pound cakes and cheese cakes, which Lois readily shared with co-workers and fellow bowling enthusiasts.Lois had a candid wit, an infectious laugh and embraced simplicity. Because she came from humble beginnings, she made a contribution to a family she knew was in need every Christmas.Lois is survived by her children, Sherri L. Hollins and her husband Earl of Newport and Rowland C. Nelson of Washington, DC, her grandchildren, Corey Hollins, Keith Hollins, and Brooke Hollins Dini and her husband John, her great-grandchildren, Nyla Hollins and Savannah Hollins, and her lifelong dear friends, Joanne and Philip Coriander and Jo Eva and Paul Gaines, her dear aunt Katherine Lee and many cousins.A graveside service in her memory will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at 11:30AM, in the Newport Memorial Park in Middletown.Donations in her memory may be made to the Visiting Nurse Home amp; Hospice, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871.