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Obituaries

Lois Montgomery Dowey, 76, Educator, Activist

Lois Dowey passed away Nov. 11

 

Lois Montgomery Dowey, educator, activist and longtime resident of Princeton died Nov. 11 after a two year battle with cancer.

She was born in Parma, Idaho on Sept. 25, 1925, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and a Welsh immigrant teacher. She lived in Portland Ore.. Lois graduated from Madera High School in Madera, Calif. and from Occidental College before moving to New York City where she obtained a masters in philosophy from Columbia University. Lois married Edward Dowey in N.Y. in 1954. They lived in Chicago for two years before moving to Princeton in 1957 when Edward started a long career at  Princeton Theological Seminary.

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Lois raised two children, Edward (Ted) and Elizabeth. In 1965 Lois started teaching middle school history and English at Princeton Day School. She was active in securing equal pay for women teachers. In the 1980s Lois taught at the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine in Manhattan and at Literacy Volunteers in NY.Y.

Lois went back to school and received a Masters in African Studies from Rutgers in conjunction with the University of Ghana, Legon. Lois traveled to Ghana for a semester to study. Later she established support for a series of students there, allowing them to continue with their education. Lois was committed to helping less fortunate people in her community; especially by encouraging young people to complete their educations. She developed after-school programs in Trenton.

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Over the years Lois traveled extensively in Central America, Africa, and Asia, including a trip along the Silk Road from China into India, and catching a glimpse of Everest from a plane. Lois established the L Dowey Fund which serves to help finance the education of students in Ghana and in Trenton, fulfilling her lifetime of devotion to advancing the education of those less fortunate.

A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Mountain Lakes House, 57 Mountain Ave in Princeton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be mailed to the L Dowey Fund at: 1 Markham Rd #1D, Princeton. Arrangements under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home in Princeton.

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