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Lois died Sept. 18 after a lifetime of community service and unrelenting advocacy for the underserved. Lois was a fierce, tenacious woman before it was cool. She was a natural athlete from childhood, excelling on the basketball court, in the pool, and even on the ski jump. As a young woman, she obtained her private pilot’s licence. As assistant director of water safety services for the Red Cross in Toronto, Lois noticed a failing in the national swimming badge system that resulted in children abandoning instruction. She redesigned the program, keeping kids in swim programs across the country, and thus saving countless lives. In 1980, Lois began her 23-year tenure as CEO of the Fort Erie YMCA. Once a small storefront organization, the Fort Erie YMCA became, under Lois’s ambitious vision and perseverance, a state-of-the-art facility complete with daycare centre, running track, and even a waterslide. The building owed its existence to the “Lois Factor,” her dedication to the community, and her ability to convince people to open their wallets and contribute. The Lois Factor, of course, extended to her home life, with husband Joseph Barker, Sc’60, and children Karen, Artsci’86, and Kim. She encouraged her daughters to try everything. She taught them that there were no limits on what they could achieve. She inspired them to make volunteering an essential part of their lives. As a mother, friend, and employer, Lois was as tough as she was giving. She often saw more potential in others than they saw in themselves and she never gave up on helping them achieve it. She changed the lives of many. She will be missed.