Lois Gildersleeve Schine

Lois Gildersleeve Schine of Westport passed away at her home on July 7, 2022 surrounded by her family. Lois was born in 1927 in Brooklyn, NY to Daniel W. Gildersleeve and Florence Grimm Gildersleeve. The Gildersleeve family came to Massachusetts from England in 1635 and eventually settled in Connecticut.

Lois was a pioneer in her day. She graduated second in her class with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1947 from Pratt Institute, where she was the only woman in the Mechanical Engineering program. She was elected to Tau Beta Pi (an Honorary Engineering Society) with a special designation as an “Honorary Member” because it was a male-only fraternity at the time. In the 1960’s, Tau Beta Pi finally began inducting women and Lois was retroactively named a full member in recognition of her accomplishments. While at Pratt, she was a Founding Member of the Society of Women Engineers which is now a large international organization.

After college Lois worked for General Electric in Advanced Engineering and Research. GE was one of the few companies that would hire female engineers in the 1940’s and 1950’s. She also taught engineering courses at Bridgeport University.

Lois met Leonard Schine, an attorney, when he hired her as a consulting engineer. In 1951, they married and had five children in rapid succession. They made their home in Westport, CT and Lois remained there for the next 70 years. While raising the children, Lois continued her education and received a Masters Degree in Administrative Engineering from New York University.

When the children were of school age, Lois went back to work as an engineering consulting. Eventually she shifted careers and became Director of Volunteer Services at Bridgeport Hospital supervising 700 volunteers. She was President of the CT Association of Directors of Volunteer Services and President of the New England Association of Volunteer Directors.

In 1988 she moved on to become Executive Director of the Westport/Weston Chamber of Commerce, a post she held for sixteen years.

In addition to her professional career, Lois contributed much to community life in Westport and the surrounding area. Among her many civic activities, she was a Trustee of Sacred Heart University for 37 years, a Board Member of the Near and Far Aid Association, a member of the Westport Rotary Club, a Board Member of the Westport/Weston YMCA and she served on the Westport RTM for 20 years. She was particularly proud of her work helping to create Winslow Park and having the Planning & Zoning Committee designate it as its first “Open Space Zone”.

Lois was an intrepid traveler who visited far corners of the world. She was an avid skier and reluctantly gave up the sport at 85 years old. She also played tennis and pursued ice dancing. Her child raising philosophy can best be summed up as “survival of the fittest”, as she took her five children skiing, white water rafting, helicopter skiing, sailing, and on safaris exposing them to a wide range of people, places and experiences.

She is survived by her five children and their spouses, Leslie Schine (Nils Nilsen), Daniel Schine (Patty Sullivan), Lindsay Schine (Michael Klingher), Lauren Schine and Edward Schine (Brigitta), and her ten grandchildren Caleb, Christian and Thomas Schine; Cody Nilsen; Ben, Nathan and Natalie Klingher; Tyler and Kyle Schine; Shannon May; and her beloved dog, Kirby. Lois was predeceased by her husband, Leonard Schine, her grandson, Jonathan Schine and her sister, Joyce Feigenbaum.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Leonard and Lois Schine Scholarship Fund at Sacred Heart University or The Aspetuck Valley Land Trust.

https://alumni.sacredheart.edu/leonard-schinememorial-scholarship

https://www.aspetucklandtrust.org/capital-campaign-online-donations

A memorial service will be held in the Fall.

The Spear Miller Funeral Home in Fairfield has handled the arrangements.