Lois Mercadante Ewing, age 82, passed away at home on June 24, 2025.
Born on October 5 th , 1942, Lois grew up in South Orange, NJ, where she graduated from Columbia High School, Class of 1960. She began her career straight out of high school, working in the steno pool at Bell Laboratories. She retired 27 years later as a manager in the AT&T Treasury Department.
Lois met her husband, Phil, on a Bell Labs ski trip. They lived in Somerville, NJ until 1991, before moving to Orlando, FL, and then to The Villages in 2001. Lois and Phil had been married for 50 years when he passed in 2014.
An avid reader, Lois enjoyed reading to children at daycare through the Goodwill BookWorks program. She was a dedicated bowler at Spanish Springs Lanes, where members of The Orange Blossoms and Young at Heart leagues provided much appreciated friendship and support.
Lois is survived by her son, Anthony, and daughter-in-law, Elda; three grandchildren – Samantha, Joshua and Gabriela (also CHS graduates); brothers Fred and Anthony; sister-in-law Christine; niece Maddie; and stepmother Patricia.
An informal memorial gathering for family and friends will take place on Saturday, July 26th, from 12 pm to 2:30 pm, at the Laurel Manor Recreation Center (1985 Laurel Manor Drive, The Villages, FL).
To honor Lois, her family welcomes donations in her name to the ACLU (www.aclu.org), the Immigrant Defense Project (www.immigrantdefenseproject.org), or another organization defending Constitutional and human rights for everyone.