Mary Lois Dunning

Mary Lois Dunning, a longtime Hagerstown resident, died peacefully in her sleep Friday, April 29, 2011. She was 94. She was born in Tamms, Ill., the daughter of the late Henry Dunning and Maisie Isler.

In the early 1940s, she worked at the State Department in Washington, D.C. Encouraged by her family to return to the Midwest, she then worked at Scott Air Force Base in St. Louis, Mo. In 1959, she returned to the State Department, working in the Latin American section until her retirement in 1969. She moved to Hagerstown following her retirement.

She is remembered by her friends and family as a kind and gentle soul, a loving and generous woman. She loved to solve crossword puzzles; she loved to crochet and quilt; she loved her garden; and she loved the Democratic Party.

She is survived by a sister, Sara Zenge of Hagerstown; a niece, Judy Grumbacher of Alexandria, Va.; a nephew, Steve Badrich of San Antonio, Texas; and a great-niece, Kate Grumbacher of Alexandria. Her sister, Maisie Badrich, preceded her in death.

There will be a graveside service Tuesday, May 3, at 11 a.m. at Rest Haven Cemetery, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown.