Lois Ann Loomis passed away peacefully on July 13, 2010. Ann grew up on her family farm near Kellogg, Iowa. She attended Iowa State University, earning a BS degree in Related Science with an emphasis in food science and nutrition in 1949. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she served as president and made many life-long friends. She met her future husband, Bob Loomis, there in freshman chemistry class.
Ann had a short, successful career in food science working first for a dairy in Des Moines as a culture technician, then testing cake mix recipes at the Pillsbury Mills Company in Minneapolis and for the flavor analysis laboratory of Arthur D. Little in Boston.
Ann and Bob were married in 1951 and moved to Davis when Bob joined the faculty of the University of California in 1956. In their Elmwood home, Ann and Bob raised three daughters, enjoyed neighbors and hosted many visiting university professors and graduate students from around the world. Ann joined her husband on four sabbaticals during his tenure with UCD, living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Australia.
Ann loved classical music. She played piano and belonged to the Davis piano group. She also played in a neighborhood bridge group, served as the historian for the Davis Aquadarts and was a longtime friend of the Unitarian Church. Until her passing, Ann managed her familys farms. She had a very special relationship with her four grandchildren.
She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Bob, daughter Susan Loomis of Tulsa, OK, daughter Sarah Paul and son-in law Rodney of Kensington, CA, daughter Caroline Loomis of Davis and grandchildren Alex, Thomas, Robert and Matthew May of Davis.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Anns memory may be made to the Davis School Arts Foundation, PO Box 4302, Davis, CA 95617, or to Davis Aquadarts, PO Box 186, Davis, CA 95617 or Planned Parenthood www.plannedparenthood (Honorary Giving).