Lois Guarino

Lois Guarino passed away on September 30, after living a fulfilling life. She was a committed student in the curriculum of being human and strongly believed in the interconnectedness of all living things. Over the course of her 64 years, her roles as family member and friend, artist and writer, mentor and coach, non-profit leader and teacher, as well as animal rights supporter, provided the necessary syllabus for a life well lived.

While her years were shorter than she had hoped, nothing was wasted and each opportunity to learn and grow was embraced. Even her final illness taught her valuable lessons, and many of them were focused on love and positivity.

Lois felt blessed to be born into the family that Eleanor and Thomas created, which brought her a deeply cherished twin-like best friend in her older sister, Laura, from which she learned so many things, among them devotion, and unconditional love. It also brought a loving network of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. She was grateful for her long marriage to Stan, and celebrated it as an important, grounding artistic-life-partnership spanning 39 years, with lessons learned from him about generosity, acceptance and loyalty. Being mother to Livi (Olivia), brought her everyday pleasure and extraordinary joy, as well as admiration for daughter’s kind-heartedness, courage and strength of character. Being aunt to Nick (Nicholas) made the family complete, with lessons learned from him about the greater possibilities of team-work, commitment to family and unwavering presence.

Lois chose not to eat animals and not to support cruel practices that devalued an animal’s right to live peacefully. Every animal that shared their life with her was also a teacher for Lois: Jovie (loyalty), Ginger (independence), Emma (vulnerability), Henry (commitment), Daisy (perseverance), and Sophie (determination).

Lois loved many good friends, many amazing people, spanning each decade and every part of her life. If she contributed positively to your life, please pass that energy on to others. Doing this will honor Lois’s memory better than flowers or any other tribute.

“Love doesn’t die, people do.

So, when all that’s left of me is love,

give me away.”

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