Lois Durr

Lois Carol Durr

June 21, 1942 — August 19, 2026

Lois Carol Durr was born June 21, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, to Hiram T. Doyle and Gladys M. Stewart. As a girl she was active in the Girl Scouts, and that love of the outdoors and of guiding others carried into young adulthood, when she worked as a summer camp counselor. It was at that camp that she met Phillip Arnold LaBolle, and the two soon married.

When Phillip entered the United States Navy, Lois became a Navy wife, moving her young family from post to post along with his service. Their first child, Jamie Renee, was born in 1964 in Kittery, Maine, while Phillip served in the submarine fleet. Their second child, Daniel Phillip, followed in 1965 in New London, Connecticut, and their third, David Lance, was born in 1969 in Glenview, Illinois. It was during these Navy years, in the mid-1960s, that Phillip's service first brought the family to Hawaii — and Lois fell in love with the islands from that very first visit, long before she could call them home.

In the years that followed, while the family was living in Southern California, Lois's adventurous spirit came through in full force. She would load up her three children, now on her own and set off camping — taking them to Yellowstone and to the towering redwood forests of Northern California, giving them a taste of the wild, independent streak that defined her.

In 1979, Lois returned to Hawaii with Jamie and David. There she and the kids got to know the Smits side of her family. They have become lifelong friends. Through them she found and embraced the Baha'i Faith, and on November 2, 1979, she married Donald Eugene Durr at the National Baha'i Center in Honolulu. Together, Lois and Don dedicated their lives to serving God and His children, building a home in Waianae and raising their blended family within the warmth of the Hawaiian community and their shared faith.

Lois pursued her education with real determination, earning her Associate of Arts from Leeward Community College in 1985, a Bachelor's degree in Social Science from the University of Hawaii–West Oahu in 1987, and a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1991. She went on to teach as a professor of education at several institutions, including Leeward Community College, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Phoenix, spending her career shaping students and giving back to the community she loved.

That spirit of service showed up everywhere in Lois's life. She was named Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Hawaii Book Mobile, bringing books and learning to those who needed them. She was a devoted amateur genealogist, spending years tracing her family's roots, and a published poet, with work appearing in *Women on a Wire*, a collection from the Women's Poetry Room. She found joy in crocheting, jewelry-making, cooking, and gardening, and treasured the friendship of the women in the Red Hatters, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Beta Sigma Phi.

In 2019, Lois and Don made the decision to move to Fort Worth, Texas, to be near their daughter Jamie and her family. Don passed away in February 2021, and Lois remained in Fort Worth, surrounded by family, until her own passing on August 19, 2026, at the age of 84.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Eugene Durr; her sister, Jennie Lawlor; her niece, Jennie Lawlor; and her grand-nephew, Jonathan Lawlor.

Lois lived a life of faith, learning, and devotion to family. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

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Note: While Lois loved and cherished all her family members, she also understood that obituaries serve as vital historical records. For genealogical and archival purposes additional surviving relatives are provided below, an asterisk (*) is used to denote her direct lineage.

Daughter and spouse: Jamie Duran* (Robert Duran)

Sons and spouses: Daniel LaBolle* (Betty LaBolle); David LaBolle* (Michelle LaBolle)

Grandchildren and spouses: Aaron-Scott Langley* (Trina Lei Langley); Tahirih Brown* (Jacob Brown); Teresa LaBolle*; Christina LaBolle* (Chavid Mercado); Danielle LaBolle*; Sarah Duran; Michael Duran (Lisa Duran)

Great-grandchildren: Sai Mendoza Santiago, Kashlyn Langley*, and Dayton Langley* (of Jamie Duran); Madelynn Linville and Maci Linville; Adalay Duran and Atlas Duran; Cooper Brown*, Alaina Brown*, and Easton Mercado* (of David LaBolle)

Niece: Laurie Jordan*

Great-niece: Christina Jordan*

Great-nephews: Tony Lawlor*, Thomas Tubbs*, and John Jordan*

Other family and special friends: Cousin William Smits; first cousins once removed William Smits Jr., Albert Smits, Ruhiyyih Smits, and Bahiyyih Smits, Christopher Smits; first cousins twice removed Brandon Smits, Taylor Smits, Ashley Smits, Sean Smits, Maile Smits, Brian Smits, Jason Smits, Brianna Smits, Tiare Smits, Lake Smits, Aulii Towne, Kaimi Towne, and Christopher Smits Jr.

**Visitation & Service**

Monday, August 31, 2026 — 10:00 am

Skyvue Funeral Home, 7220 Rendon Bloodworth Rd., Mansfield, Texas 76063