It is with great saddness that we report the passing of our good friend Lois Hagen. She was an accomplished dancer, performer and competitor and brought so much to the Dance Station community. Lois died on June 23rd, at the Kingston Residence in Santa Fe where she spent her last year. She was a extraordinary woman with an extraordinary biography.
Lois was born in Westby, Wisconsin in 1918. She put herself through university at a time when it was unusual for a woman to do something other than earn a teaching certificate. Lois worked as a journalist, at Time, with the Associated Press and for the bulk of her career at the Milwaukee Journal. She set new standards for women, being the first woman to return to the Journal after having a child, having a successful career and a family.
Lois retired in Santa Fe in 1982. Here she was close to her grandchildren, Johanna and Patrick and her daughter, (Ellen) Gwen Gilligan. Lois took up dancing at age 74, she particpated in showcases and competitions and practically every event the studio sponsored. She danced her last showcase at Dance Station just a month after her 89th birthday.
Editors Note: It has been very sad to say goodbye to Lois, she was such an important part of our dancing family and a very dear friend. As we have let people know of her passing, the response I hear most is “I had no idea about her age”. This is something that would have pleased Lois, that everyone thought she was ten or fifteen years younger. She was always discreet with that number, having revealed it to me by accident when she showed me her high school class ring.
I worked with Lois for so many years, dancing with her was always a pleasure, she enjoyed living so. The lessons on dance I taught, the lessons she brought to me are many. I am sure they will continue to reveal themselves over time. Of the many, one important one was that she knew how to be ageless. You could never treat Lois like an older person because she wasn’t. She was a friend and peer to all, often a partner in crime and while I deeply respected her, it never occurred to me till after her death that she was older than my own grandparents.
I hope that one day I can live up to the legacy of Lois, the clarity of perspective she held. She knew what was important and chose a life full of activity, of friends and family. Thank you Lois Hagen.
