Lois Bennett Olcott, 72, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and formerly of Hilo, died Nov. 28 at the Medical University of South Carolina. Born Jan. 31, 1943, in West Hartford, Conn., she was the daughter of Ann and Irving Bennett. She
Lois Bennett Olcott, 72, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and formerly of Hilo, died Nov. 28 at the Medical University of South Carolina. Born Jan. 31, 1943, in West Hartford, Conn., she was the daughter of Ann and Irving Bennett. She was a graduate of Hall High School and Burdett Junior College and had a teaching degree in correctional education from the University Without Walls, a cooperative venture in Providence, R.I.
She is the wife of the Rev. Thomas W. Olcott, former pastor of the Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo. The couple recently celebrated 50 years of matrimony. She also is survived by daughter, Brenda Olcott; granddaughter, Meghan Olcott; great-granddaughter, Grace Kluttz; and sister, Barbara Ulrich.
She worked for the United Nations from 1963-65, served in the 1965 Christian Ministry in the National Parks at Yellowstone, worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1965-67, was an executive secretary at the Providence Biltmore Hotel from 1967-69, taught at Modern PBX Business School from 1969-75, was a job developer in Springfield, Mass., from 1976-79, was administrative secretary for the Western New England Law School Review from 1980-83 and then moved to Cleveland Heights with her family in 1983, where she worked for and retired from Family Life Adult Education for the Cleveland Board of Education.
She also served on the board of directors of the YWCA in Springfield and the board of the Florence Crittenton Society of Greater Cleveland.
Olcott generously gave back, got involved and cared about people. She also was the biggest supporter of her husband’s ministry work and volunteered in shelters, food programs, with literacy projects and organizing the Stokes 9/11 annual remembrance that honors first responders and remembers the lives lost that day.
She gave back in immeasurably big and small ways. Her family asks you to volunteer in her memory this year.
Donations in her memory can be made to the MUSC Foundation-College of Nursing Fund, 18 Bee St., MSC 450, Charleston, SC 29425.
A celebration of her life is planned at a later date at her home in Cleveland Heights and another in July in South Bristol, Maine.
