Obituary: Lois Madeline Hayward Mckenzie

Lois passed away the morning of Dec. 4, 2012 at the Renown Medical Center of aspiration pneumonia. Early May of this year Lois began having a yet to be determined battle with a neurological disorder that slowly disabled her. She fought a gallant battle with much grace and never gave up the will to live.Lois was born March 2, 1932 at the Waterbury Hospital in the town of Waterbury, Conn. She was born to Ernest Tudor Hayward, 28, an electrician at the Farrell's Foundry and Mary Elizabeth Matusavage Hayward, 25, a homemaker who later became a nurse at Southington Memorial Hospital. Lois had one sister, Jean Hayward Foley.Lois graduated from Lewis High School in Southington, Conn. When she turned 16 she started working summers on her Grandfather Jay Everett Clark's fishing boat for $5.00 a week. Lois joined the Army in July of 1950 and served as a teletype operator. She served at Camp Stoneman, Calif. While enlisted at Stoneman she met the love of her life, Charles Delno (Bud) McKenzie Jr. They eloped and were married in Elko, Nev. on June 16th 1951. Lois received an honorable discharge in Oct. of 1951.Upon leaving Camp Stoneman Bud and Lois moved to Rock Island, Ill., Bud's hometown, where Bud finished his enlistment as a reservist. In 1953 they moved to Sparks, Nev. and Bud was hired by the Southern Pacific Railroad and relocated to Carlin, Nev. In 1964 they moved to Fallon, Nev. where they started their own construction company, C.D McKenzie & Son. Lois got her first salaried job as a postal worker for the City of Fallon. She and Bud then moved back to Sparks in 1975 where they worked side by side to build their construction business. In June of 1979 Bud and Lois were divorced. After that Lois had many jobs and always stayed busy. She was best described by a close friend as “being the most capable woman she knew”. Lois was a dispatcher for the Nevada Highway Patrol, worked for Hudson Pharmaceutical Company, organized large equipment auctions for Richie Brothers and later she began taking temporary jobs with Manpower because she enjoyed getting out and meeting new people.In her later years Lois enjoyed cooking, watching baseball, especially the Atlanta Braves, playing cards with friends, crossword puzzles, Yahtzee, computer games and reading. Her mind was always sharp and full of wit.Lois leaves behind a loving family. She is survived by her daughter, Cindy (Mike) Harrigan; and son, Ernie (Deena) McKenzie; grandchildren, David Dodge (Anna), Amber (Dean) Kellner, McKenzie Beitia, Adam McKenzie, Patrick Harrigan; and great grandchildren, Kendra and Dylan Dodge, Devyn Kellner and Charleigh Madeline Beitia. She also leaves behind five nieces and their families.Lois chose not to have a service. She will be cremated at the Mountain View Crematory and her ashes will be spread by her family in Block Island Bay, R. I. so that she can be with her sister. She always felt that she and Jean didn't get to spend enough time together.We love you so much Gram and miss you deeply!