Lois M. Fierro, 91, passed away on Thursday, May 6 at her home peacefully after years of living with congestive heart failure. Lois was born in Ramsey, New Jersey, on January 18, 1930 to Leonard and Hazel Miller; she was their third child and only daughter. She often said not many can claim Ramsey as their birthplace because there is no hospital there. She was born in her home and died in her home; she would like the symmetry of that.
Lois loved people and conversation so if you asked her where she was from you would get the entire history; she lived in Ramsey, then moved to Andover, West Warwick, Rhode Island, and most recently “in a little cottage” in South Harwich. She was married to Emilio Fierro for over 56 years and they had two daughters, Amy and Susan. When she married Emilio (Gene), she embraced his Italian family and heritage. The story of how they met because of a broccoli rabe sandwich was a good one, and the green leafy vegetable became the go-to comfort food for the family. She was very close to her father-in-law Silvio Fierro in New Jersey when her girls were little, and could recall tales of his youth in Italy effortlessly and passed them on to her daughters.
Lois was a voracious reader (the Friends of the Brooks Free Library counted her as one of their best customers), a fantastic cook (she purchased original art with loaves of bread!), an animal lover (especially cats though there were many dogs too), a good listener and even better storyteller, but most of all she was a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Her faith was strong and admired by all in the congregations she belonged to wherever she lived. Just the other night she told her daughters about attending a convention of the Watchtower Society in 1940, and that those weeklong gatherings were like “her Christmas,” she loved them so much.
Second to the birth of her daughters, one of her happiest moments was when Gene joined her in the ministry work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When he died in 2009, she continued to keep his spirit alive by talking about him often, and how much she missed him, and looked forward to seeing him again in the Bible’s promise of a paradise Earth. She was very proud of her work as an assistant to Donald Hall, a former United States poet laureate too. She was so proud of her three grandsons, Brent, Taylor, and Joe. She had no regrets with how she lived her life, but her daughter Susie summed up some regrets she and Amy had for these last few days. “From the unfinished library book, to the unwritten notes, to the unfound service bag, to the unfed seagulls, to the uneaten fried clams, to the unbloomed hydrangeas.” They just ran out of time. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, health aides, and the many friends who helped Lois, Amy, and Susie during these last few days; and to Suzanne’s eggs, Lois always said it was those eggs that were keeping her alive.
Lois is survived by her daughters Amy Tagliaferri and Susan Doran, son-in-law Charles Tagliaferri; her grandsons Brent Doran, Taylor Doran, and Joseph Tagliaferri, nieces Patricia Miller, Gail Bell, Lynn Bell, Stacie Miller, and Judy Fierro, nephews Henry Miller, Jr., Michael Fierro, and David Fierro, great-niece Claire Wieman, her kitty Pookie, and a myriad of friends from all the places she lived. She was predeceased by her husband Emilio Eugene Fierro, son-in-law Thomas P. Doran, brothers Benjamin P. Miller, and Henry Miller, and her parents Leonard A. Miller and Hazel P. Miller. Lois will be buried with her dear husband in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. Details of a Zoom service in early June with the Harwich/Dennis congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses presiding will be announced soon. Everyone is welcome. To leave a message of condolences for the family please go to: NickersonFuneralHome.com.
“I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” The Living Bible’s version of Isaiah 46:4.