Lois Ethelyn Broadwater

Lois Ethelyn Broadwater 1923-2018 One of the last living members of the Central High School (Lonaconing, Md.) “Class Of ‘42” has passed away. With sadness, my brother David and I are announcing that our mother Lois E. (Anderson) Broadwater died on 2/19/18, at Birmingham Green, in Manassas, Virginia. Our mother was born and raised in Lonaconing, Maryland, the 2nd child of Alexander and Marguerite Anderson. She had an older sister, Leah and a younger brother, Adrian Anderson. Our mother was a child of the Great Depression and graduated high school into a world that was at war. Mom worked hard in those years earning money for her family. During and after WWII, she would take a bus to her job in Cumberland. On one of those bus trips, she met a sailor on leave and they talked. He mentioned that he had a buddy from western Maryland and that he’d probably like to talk to her, a phone number was exchanged. Mom and Dad eventually talked, dated and were married on October 14, 1949. They were together until our father’s death in 2007. I (Gary) was born in 1956 and my brother (David) was born in 1958. We were fortunate to be raised by two very loving, intelligent and talented parents. Our father had a 30 year navy career, so there were many times when he was away and Mom was left to care for us and a house, by herself. Looking back, I don’t know how she did it ? If I had to toss a baseball for a Cub Scout badge...I was pitching to my Mom. She participated in the PTA and wrote the school newsletter. By the way, Mom had a lot of artistic talent and beautiful handwriting. During her life, many looked forward to her annual Christmas card that would include a handwritten note that told of the family’s activities that year. No matter, if it was writing a card, cooking a big meal, making a birthday cake, washing and folding clothes, sewing a patch on a merit badge sash, decorating for Christmas or wrapping a gift...everything was done with perfection ! She only knew how to do it the right way. Whether it was at home or when she was working, our mother could always be counted on to be there and do amazing things ! When we arrived in Virginia in early 1970, Mom started working at the Prince William Board of Realtors. After a few years, she became the executive secretary and as you can imagine, experienced the tremendous growth of the real estate business in our area, over the years. She retired in the early ‘90s. All during this time, she assisted the family in our growing equipment rental business. One of the amusing things about our mother was that she saved everything and got attached to various items, especially cars. Many times, my Dad would have to sneak her car to the dealership and replace it with a new one. Up until 18 months ago, Mom was still in good health and driving (around town). We wanted to replace her 2004 with a newer and more reliable vehicle. That never happened and we sure have replaced a lot of parts over the years ! I’ll miss her concern for our health and welfare, her brownies and her recorded phone messages, “Gary, this is your mother calling…”. She lived a full and exciting life that we’re so fortunate to have been a part of. Our mother fought until the end. She is survived by her sons and their wives, Gary (Leshia) and David (Patty), her grandson Ryan and his wife Lindsay. Her brother Adrian Anderson, numerous nieces and nephews and many loving relatives on our Dad’s side of the family. Visitation will be on Saturday, February 24th, 3PM-5PM at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center St., Manassas, Va., 20110. Burial will be at 10 AM Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at Arlington National Cemetery..

Lois Ethelyn Broadwater

October 16, 1923 - February 19, 2018