April 9, 2021
Lois Irene Oxenford Brandes
Lois Irene Oxenford Brandes was born to Dorothy and Frank Oxenford in Harrisburg Pennsylvania on October 12, 1942, and she passed away at the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts on April 9, 2021.
Lois is survived by her sister Susan and husband, Michael Rose, her sister Lyn and husband Paul Jasinski, her sister Eunice, and their children and families!
As a very young girl, she played the piano and organ in the Church of the Nazarene in Brockton, MA, where her father was the pastor. Lois and her sisters performed for a church radio broadcast, “The Voice of Comfort,” and Lois began this when she was only three and one half years old, and continued from early childhood for many years!
Lois graduated from the Brockton High School, and then attended Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy MA, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education, and completed all but one course, in a second major in Music with a concentration in Applied Voice! She had a gorgeous soprano voice, and was a soloist at numerous important events!
After graduating from ENC, Lois taught grades 1, 2, and 3, at the Squantum Elementary School in Quincy, MA for 41 years, where she was supremely loved by her students, their parents, and all administrators! Lois also served as organist/pianist and choirmaster at several churches including eight years at Christ Lutheran Church in Scituate.
While at college she met, dated, and married Lambert Willard Brandes who taught music, organ and acoustics at ENC for 53 years!
They worked together in many churches beginning, immediately after they were married, with 15 years at Bethany Congregational Church in Quincy, MA. There, they virtually adopted an eight year old boy, Tomas Vozzella, and taught him to play the piano and organ! He then attended and graduated from ENC! Tom now has his earned Master’s degree and Doctorate in Music!
To this day, they love Tom, and he addresses Lois and Lambert as Mom and Pops!!! Tom has now performed worldwide and he and his church choir were invited to provide the opening music for the Christmas celebration at the White House just a few years ago!
Lois and Lambert both have a strong faith in God, believe in Jesus as their Personal Savior, and have been very happily Married for fifty four years plus!
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Lois may be made to Eastern Nazarene College, 23 East Elm Ave, Quincy, MA 02170, Wollaston Church of the Nazarene, 37 East Elm Ave, Quincy, MA 02170, or to Christ Lutheran Church, 460 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Scituate MA 02066-3649.