Published 28 January, 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Lois W. Arthur, who was a longtime Philadelphia public school teacher, died on Jan. 13, 2021. Arthur was 96.
Arthur attended Philadelphia High School for Girls. After graduating from high school, she attended West Chester State Teacher’s College. In 1944, she pledged Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She graduated in 1945 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Arthur continued her studies, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a MS degree in elementary education. Her employment with the School District of Philadelphia started on July 1, 1947.
In the early 1950s, she traveled to Tuskegee Institute (University), Tuskegee, AL to take summer courses. There she met Edward Charles Arthur, who was attending the College of Veterinary Medicine. They were married in Philadelphia, May 26, 1951.
In January 1952, she took maternity-leave from teaching and her son, Edward Charles Jr. was born. She took her second maternity leave in February 1959 for the birth of her daughter, Loyce.
When her daughter was three months old, the family traveled to Grenada. Edward Sr. came to a decision after seven years of working in a meat processing plant in the United States. He felt called to return to the place of his birth to work there since the island had non veterinarians. The family spent the next 10 years in Grenada.
Arthur did not leave her teaching career behind. In 1963, she helped to establish the Westmoreland School in Grenada to help prepare West Indian and foreign students for an easier transition to American colleges, since this new school followed a grade rather than the British form system. During her time there, she served as headmistress of the Kindergarten Nursery section and trained and supervised the teaching staff, a position she held until 1969.
In 1969, the family moved back to Philadelphia. Arthur joined the staff of the Mann School in Philadelphia as an elementary school teacher, a position she held until her retirement in 1995.
During this time, she also worked for 11 years as a checkpoint teacher, as a head teacher at the Heston Summer School Reading Center; as a grade leader on the school’s planning committees; as a cooperative teacher; as an observation teacher; and as a member of the District Four Instructional Resource team. In 1975, she attended Temple University for the Plus 30 Credits program in Educational Administration.
Arthur was also school chairman of the United Negro College Fund and a Urban League volunteer.
Edward Sr., her husband, lost his battle with Parkinson disease in 1978. Arthur is survived by her son, Ed (Diane) and her daughter, Loyce.
In lieu of food or flowers donations can be made to https://phillykids.org/programs/library-support. She will be laid to rest on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the West Laurel Hill Cemetery. If you would like to send flowers for the service, contact https://www.cwoodfh.com.
