Lois Nall

Lois Donaldson Nall was born in Covington County on March 18, 1925, to parents W.A. “Doc” and Arena Davis Donaldson, and she died peacefully at her daughter’s home in Bonifay on January 8, 2025. Lois spent her childhood living in south Alabama and graduated co-valedictorian of Opp High School in 1942. She also called Troy, Paxton, and DeFuniak Springs home before moving in her later years to live with her daughter in Bonifay.

During her early years in Florida, Lois was an active member of First Baptist Church DeFuniak Springs for many years, and she also was part of the DeFuniak Springs Pilot Club for 50 years. After her move to Bonifay, she was an appreciated member of First Baptist Church in Bonifay. 

Lois loved her family greatly, and she treasured their times together, but she also had some solo accomplishments along the way for which she was very proud. In 1941 she was invited to the Beta Club, a recognition for her superb educational performance. Also during the WWII years, Lois was a real life Rosie the Riveter as she worked repairing airplane radios at Marianna Army Air Field. Her time with the Pilot Club was special to her as, throughout her 50 years of membership, she held every office of the club - her time as Chaplain was her favorite. Invited to be a guest speaker at the National Junior Beta convention in Mobile in 2013, she received standing ovations both before and after her speaking. On her 90thbirthday, in 2015, Northwest Florida State College in Niceville awarded Lois an honorary Bachelor of Science degree. 

Traveling was a favorite for Lois. She and her husband were able to visit 49 states together, and she made it to her 50th state, Hawaii, with Cynthia in 2019. Trip planning and preparation was a specialty of hers. For a three-week family road trip to Seattle, Washington in 1965, Lois canned hamburger and spaghetti so the family would not have to spend extra money eating out. Her skills of planning trips and reading maps she wisely shared with Cynthia and with Erin.

In recalling beloved memories, her family has many to treasure. Cynthia will always admire her mother’s teaching skills. She got to witness Lois help her husband Ed complete his bachelors at Troy State and his master’s degree at FSU, and she also saw Lois push her son, Warren, to complete his 2 year program at OWJC in 3 years. Cynthia was the recipient of Lois teaching her “new math” when they moved back to DeFuniak so that she wouldn’t be behind when she started her new school. Lois enjoyed life’s special moments. Her granddaughter, Erin, grew up getting to open her much anticipated Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve, not because Erin could not wait, but because her Nanny, Lois, was too excited to wait another day ! Her great grandchildren, Tucker, Arena, and Sadie always knew where Nanny had been because they could follow the trail of tissues, and they always kept Nanny supplied with crossword puzzles and wooden pencils when she would come to visit. Memories from their travels together will always bring smiles. Many precious memories were made when Lois, Cynthia, Erin, Tucker, Arena, and Sadie went on their four-generation trips together. Cynthia recalls during one trip in a Memphis hotel, they had all been eating supper together in one room and, when they were done, they had to roll Nanny back to her room using a desk chair. When they left her in the hallway for only a moment, she looked around and, confused, said, “Why am I here?” Her tone got all of them so tickled they laughed so hard they could barely breathe. Another time, Nanny’s cane got left in a parking lot at Walmart in Nebraska. After returning to retrieve it, they conducted roll call to make sure everyone was in the car and Nanny made an addendum to the list – “Cane”!  In another event, after many hours in the car from traveling for over a week, Nanny suddenly proclaims from the back seat, “Oh, there they are!” When asked what she found, Lois proudly shared that she had finally found, in her purse, the two boiled eggs she had prepared to bring on the trip. Lois made every trip a genuine adventure.

Lois is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Brooks, granddaughter, Erin Brooks and husband David Lauen, Jr, and great grandchildren, Tucker Cade, Arena Coldrey, and Sadie Marie Lauen. She also leaves behind many Donaldson and Nall nieces and nephews. 

She is preceded in death by her husband Edward C. Nall in 2010, son Donald Warren Nall in 2019, parents W.A. and Arena Donaldson, brothers Joel D. Deron and Bibb Donaldson, sisters Hazel, Eva Dell, and Ethel Donaldson. 

Lois will be remembered affectionately by all who knew and loved her. She was lovely and was a true Southern lady in every way, but when her eyes started dancing, she was about to give way to “righteous anger.” She was lovingly known as adorable, The Queen, Baby Yoda, Nanny, and Mama, and, while a list to describe her is extensive - classy, kind, witty, and wise, loving, loyal, extremely intelligent, meticulous, and beautiful - it still does not encapsulate all of her qualities. 

Flowers are being accepted, but donations would be appreciated to Doctors Memorial Hospital Foundation, First Baptist Church of Bonifay Building Fund, and/or FBC DeFuniak Springs Women’s Ministry.