Lois Pastro

Lois Pastro

Former longtime Valley resident Lois Pastro quietly died in her sleep the night of Oct. 3, 2010, from cancer.

Lois was born in Chicago, Ill., to Rudolph and Susan Hrdina, the youngest of four daughters. The family moved to country property in southern Michigan during the Great Depression where they farmed and ran a fishing resort on Prairie Lake.

Lois started school in a one-room country school house and graduated from Sturgis High School in 1943. After the war, Lois moved to Anchorage to take an office job with the Civil Aviation Authority at Merril Field. There she met her future husband, Dick Pastro, then an aircraft mechanic for CAA. They started building a home on O’Malley Road long before there was an O’Malley Road. They were married in 1957 and Lois stayed at home with their two sons.

Dick was rising through the ranks to become one of the now FAA’s senior pilots. Lois developed an appreciation for Native arts and crafts and the individuals who created them. Her interest led to a job at Wiona’s Gift Shop as well as build up an extensive doll collection. After retiring she continued to sell Native crafts as a volunteer at the Native Service Hospital gift shop.

Dick and Lois moved into the Valley for 20 years following Dick’s retirement. After his death, she returned to Anchorage. For the past five years, Lois has lived at the Southern Living Assisted Living Home where the staff, residents and the residents’ families became a second family.

Lois is survived by a sister, Betty Houck of Graham, N.C.; and her sons and their families, including Jim in Homer and Tony in Fairbanks.

On Saturday, Oct. 9, there will be a private burial for Lois. After, friends and extended families are invited to a celebration of Lois’ life from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Southern Living Assisted Living Hospital, 9639 Musket Ball Circle, Anchorage. Arrangements are under the direction of the Anchorage Funeral Home.