The world has lost a beautiful soul, but heaven has gained an angel. Our mom, wife, grandma and friend to all, Lois Pilcher, 79, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. Although we all miss her dearly, we are blessed with wonderful memories of the good times and her selfless love.
Lois was born in St. Maries, Idaho, on Nov. 3, 1942, to Homer and Margie Shaffer. She joined brothers Jerry, Kenny and Jim and sisters Virginia and Alice. Lois was the youngest and was always looked after by her older siblings.
When Lois was 16, her mother, Margie, passed away and Lois went to live with her sister Virginia and her husband, Charlie McIntosh, in Pierce. It was there that she met Dwight Snyder and they married after she graduated from high school in 1960. A year later, Dwight and Lois welcomed a son, Tony, into the world and a year later, another son, Rex, was born. Lois was a stay-at-home mom until her sons started school and then she went to work waiting tables at the Country Kitchen restaurant in Kendrick. One day while waiting tables, the bank manager came in for lunch and noticed Mom’s outgoing, bubbly personality and offered her a job at the bank. Banking was Mom’s professional calling and she worked for First Security Bank for 26 years, retiring in 1998 as head of the personal loan department out of Boise. While in Boise, Mom became an avid river rafter and led many excursions with her girlfriends down most of the rivers in Idaho. She was also an animal lover and her favorites were Brodie, her dog, and Roman, her cat.
Lois and Dwight divorced in 1984 and, when living in Boise, she met Gene Pilcher, who became her husband in 1996. Lois and Gene had a wonderful marriage spanning 26 years, first living in Boise, then Cleveland and finally in Lewiston, where they built their dream home on Cougar Ridge. Lois and Gene spent their retirement years snow skiing at their condo in McCall, staying in their cabin at Warm Lake out of Cascade or in Lewiston, tending to their yard and huge garden, where Mom had a magical green thumb and could grow anything. But their favorite thing to do was visit and host their kids and grandkids, which was their greatest joy.
Lois is survived by her husband, Gene Pilcher, of Lewiston, sons Tony Snyder (Trina), of Kamiah, Rex Snyder (Lisa), of Moscow, step-daughter Lisa Farrin, of Boise, and stepson Eric Pilcher, of Seattle. She loved her many grandchildren, Cole Snyder (Shelby), Whitney Harding (Lee), Jordan Snyder, Ryan Snyder (Ashli), Kyle Snyder (Erin), Bailee Schnider (Mike) and Bo Olmstead (Bailey) and great-grandchildren, Branson Rozier, Calin Snyder, Casen Snyder, Harper Snyder and Lainey Olmstead.
A special thank you to the staff at Palouse Hills Assisted Living and Memory Care in Moscow. They were so loving and caring to Mom.
Rest in peace, Mom, your work is done here and you have done a great job.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
A service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Lewiston First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview Drive, Lewiston.
Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow is in charge of arrangements and condolences may be left at shortsfuneralchapel.com.
