Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Canoles, Marian Lewis-Jones May 18, 2022 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert Woolfitt http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008401 August 16, 2022, 12:31 pm H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments May 20, 2022 Marian Lewis-Jones Canoles (Lou) passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of May 18, 2022. She was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to the Reverend Herbert Lewis-Jones and Olive Butler Lewis-Jones on September 16, 1927, just two years shy of the great Depression. Truer words were never spoken than that of her father-in- law who said, “God broke the mold when He made Lou.” Affectionately nicknamed “The General”, Lou was the kind of woman who liked to get things done. She had a vision for any project she undertook and wouldn’t rest until her vision was realized. This applied to everything she did: from sewing her four daughters’ clothes, rearranging furniture, conceiving and writing three published editions of “The Creative Copycat” for teachers and librarians, to building a website of her husband’s talks about the faith they shared. Even though money was tight in her formative years, Lou’s parents saw to it that she was properly educated. She attended St. John’s School in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, graduating as valedictorian - albeit out of a class of four! At a time when most women didn’t go to college Lou arrived on the campus of the College of William and Mary in 1945. Blessed with a beautiful soprano voice, she was invited to join the William and Mary Choir. She was a philosophy major - the perfect choice for a woman who loved nothing more than pondering the great questions. Lou would undoubtedly say that the highlight of her college career was meeting her husband of 59 years, L.T. “Buddy” Canoles Jr.; he certainly felt the same way. It was love at first sight for Buddy, and he likened his conquest for her hand to that of guerilla warfare, employing tactics to distract Lou from the other spiders like him trapped in her web. His tactics worked, and they were married just three months after Lou’s college graduation. Their marriage was the perfect two-part harmony - made manifest whenever Buddy sang baritone and Lou soprano. Their four daughters will never forget them harmonizing together at home and on long car trips. It made for very special childhood memories. As her girls got older Lou decided she wanted to become a librarian. And like the General that she was, she made it happen. She kept the house, continued sewing for her girls and did her schoolwork at Old Dominion University. Nothing less than an A was acceptable, and she earned them all. Her first and only position as a paid librarian was working at Booker T. Washington High School where she remained for 10 years. While at Booker T., Lou volunteered her time and talents to the school’s drama department making many of the student costumes for its productions. Lou’s daughters were lucky enough to see her in her prime. She taught her girls so much through her actions and not her words. She imparted a love for music and literature. Oh how Lou enjoyed the “original” Four Freshmen quartet! Her collection of poems entitled “A Child’s Preserve” is a beautiful ode to times past. Lou exemplified in her behavior the importance of loyalty, standards, creativity, selflessness, faith and doing the right thing. None of her daughters will ever forget how she tried to stop a man from attacking a woman in the parking lot of the Ocean View Amusement Park by shouting, “Shall I call the police now or later, you savage?!” Perhaps the greatest testament to Lou’s character is that she carried on after the loss of her husband in 2009. They had been inseparable. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Leroy T. Canoles Jr., son-in-law Lex W. Troutman, and sister Janice Lewis-Jones. She is survived by her older brother, Trevor Lewis-Jones; 4 daughters, Claudia Troutman, Alison (Anthony) Parks, Jody (John) Benedict, Marian (Bill) M’Coy; 8 grandchildren, Hunter (Jacqueline) Troutman, Marian (Ted) Enright, Anthony (Katie) Parks, Jr., Evan Benedict, Emily Benedict, Grayson M’Coy, Sheffield M’Coy, and Caroline M’Coy; and a great- grandson, Lex Canoles Troutman. Lou was secure in the knowledge that “without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The family would like to thank Lou’s special caregivers: Julie Durham, Samantha Jones, Leslie Waters, Dianna Clukey, Ulysses McCoy and Dr. Tom Grant. A graveside service for family will be held next week at Elmwood Cemetery. If you wish to honor Lou’s work as a librarian, memorial donations may be made to the Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, PO Box 3234, Norfolk, Virginia 23504, or online at friendsnplva.com. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/obits/c/canoles4329nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb