Lois Hug Obituary

Lois Hug

Dec 31, 1927 - Apr 17, 2025

Norwalk

Lois Hug died peacefully on Thursday, April 17, 2025, surrounded by her family. She is survived by nine children, 16 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren stretching across the United States. A life-long resident of Norwalk, Ohio, Lois is remembered for her easy laugh and generous hugs.

Born Floretta Lois Fisher in Norwalk in 1927, she was the daughter of Joseph and Flora Fisher, who owned and operated Fisher Music in downtown Norwalk. Her parents, as well as her siblings, Marian, Howard, and John Robert, preceded her in death. Lois attended and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1945, married Tom Hug in 1948, and helped build Hug Concrete Paving, founded in 1952. Equally at home hosting a dinner party as she was driving a tractor, Lois was an avid card shark, having played a continuous 62-year game of gin with her husband until his death in 2010.

Her grandchildren will tell you she gave hugs worthy of her namesake. Her children are a testament to her embrace of the deep love that moves beyond arguments and disagreements. Lois Hug demanded kindness in quarrel, and her love was fierce and honest. Lois purchased Sandy Ridge Fruit Farm in 1971, giving way to years of school field trips to pick strawberries, apples, and pumpkins. She expanded the roadside fresh fruit and vegetable stand and extended the season by adding her personal recipe to the fresh cider operation. Sandy Ridge was also home to annual Thanksgiving barn dances. The colorful lights of the Christmas tree lot on State Route 61 signaled that the Christmas season had begun. As part of St. Paul's congregation, Lois was a decades-long member of the choir, a champion of fund-raising activities, and a reliable sponsor of festivals, music, and education programs.

Lois combined traditional domestic skills with her artistry. She sewed, cooked, quilted, canned, and farmed while recognizing and nurturing the individual personalities and talents of each child. A life-long learner, Lois later became an accomplished artist. This legacy is mirrored in the family she leaves behind, made up of artists, scientists, writers, filmmakers, engineers, and educators. She was always the last to leave a party, knew the ins and outs of a perfect station wagon, and was an absolute speeding terror on a golf cart or a scooter.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Evans Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at St. Paul Catholic Church, 91 E. Main Street, Norwalk, with pastor Anthony Recker officiating. Burial will follow at St. Paul Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Artist's Open Studio at https://www.artistsopenstudioinc.org, 32 East Main Street, Norwalk, OH 44857, or Norwalk Arts Center online at https://www.norwalkartscenter.org, 22 East Main Street, PO Box 656, Norwalk, OH 44857.