OBITUARY: Lois Marie Heath Hall

Lois Marie Heath Hall, 83, of Charlotte, formerly of Albemarle, passed away peacefully at her residence in her daughter and son-in-law’s home on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

Lois was the middle of five children born to the late Marshall and Mary Heath of Ellerbe, on March 15, 1941.

Growing up on a tobacco farm with a large family created a strong work ethic with commitment to family and community at the center. When not working in the fields alongside her siblings and neighbors, she could be found diligently engaged in simple daily tasks such as ironing and cleaning.

During her teenage years, she attended a Billy Graham Crusade and was moved to make a public profession of her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Christ remained firmly planted at the center of her earthly life until she was welcomed into His presence this past Sunday.

In 1959, Lois met and married the love of her life-Claude O’Neal Hall Jr. Life brought several work-related moves for the young couple until they finally settled in Albemarle, where they made their home.

Lois worked in a variety of supervisory roles in textiles until she retired. She and Claude were very active in their home church, Poplin Grove Baptist, where they were blessed with many lifelong friends who they laughed and cried with through the joys and sorrows of life.

At Poplin Grove, Lois volunteered as a children’s Sunday school teacher, GA leader, VBS director, and youth leader among other roles. She was a dedicated wife and caregiver to Claude during his battle with multiple cancers and later several strokes which left him wheelchair bound until he passed in 2012.

After Claude’s death and her retirement from textiles, Lois remained exceptionally active in her community serving others while also enjoying fun part-time work with friends. She had a passion for helping someone every day through visitations, card writing, or simple acts of kindness. As a family beneficiary of the loving care provided by her local hospice organization, she felt called to serve as a hospice caregiver volunteer, fundraiser, and children’s camp counselor.

In 2010, Lois was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome but remained very active until the last few months due to the expertise, medical attention, and loving care of countless healthcare professionals, including Dr. Garry Schwartz and later Dr. Greg Knight and his team at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute.

Lois sold her home in Albemarle and moved to her new residence in the home of her daughter and son-in-law in 2018. She learned all about South Charlotte and how to get around with ease. She met new people in the community and made Charlotte her home.

Given the opportunity for a fun part-time job at a local restaurant, she quickly became known as the “Chick-Fil-A lady” who greeted diners and helped make their experience a pleasurable one.

With the interruptions to indoor dining and the progression of her disease, she had to leave her fun “work” behind and focus on her health. She made biweekly trips to the Levine Cancer Institute where she received the best available treatment under the care of Dr. Greg Knight and his amazing team.

One of her greatest joys was being the mother to Claude’s and her only child, Donna Marie, and later mother-in-law to Robert James “Bob” Gaskin.

She cherished watching their family grow with the birth and marriages of their three daughters: Ivey Elizabeth (Dr. Brett Baker) of Charlotte; Caroline Olivia (Mr. Julio Cuellar) of Charlotte; and Emily Grace (Capt. Emory Walls, USAF) of Phoenix, Arizona.

While being a mother and later a “Mema” brought tremendous joy to Lois’ life, becoming “Ma” to five great-grandchildren made her life magical. The time spent with Eli, Graham and Aiden Baker, and Valentina “Nina” and Fernanda “Fifi” Cuellar was the highlight of the last eight years of her life.

In addition to her sister, Betty Ingram, Lois is pre- ceded in death by one of her dearest friends and mother figure, Ruby Hatley, who she cared for during her final years. She is survived by many dear friends as well as her sister Johnsie Mills (Bobby) of Ellerbe; brother Bob Heath (Junita) of Cordova; brother Jimmy Heath (Sybil) of Ellerbe; and many nieces and nephews who she loved dearly.

The family will celebrate her life on Saturday, July 6 at 1 p.m. at Poplin Grove Baptist Church in Albemarle, with visitation following. The family has requested a private immediate family only burial at 3 p.m.

Stanly Funeral Home is serving the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Carolinas Hematology & Blood Disorders Research Fund at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, c/o Atrium Health Foundation, 7800 Providence Road, Suite 208, Charlotte, NC 28226, or via their website: Donate to Cancer Causes.