Obituary of Lois B Downs (Barth)

The world lost an amazing woman on 8/17/21. Lois Downs, age 94, recently of Apple Valley & Farmington, passed away peacefully with her daughter at her side. Lois was born on July 31st, 1927, in Minneapolis to Champ and Esther Barth.

Lois attended Page Elementary, Ramsey Junior High and Washburn High School. She met her husband Jim while in school, they married and raised three children. Lois was formerly a long-term resident of Minnetonka and was involved with her kid’s activities by participating with Cub Scouts and Minnetonka Horsemen Association.

After the kids were older, Lois chose to start a career and was a graduate of Greater Realtors Institute. She ended up specializing in Real Estate of new construction projects for over 20 years and worked for many of the area’s leading developers. In her retirement, she enjoyed going to lunch with her friends, shopping – especially Arts and Craft Fairs, walking around Wood Lake Nature Center and visiting the North Shore. Later in life, she spent time feeding the birds on her deck and liked watching Jeopardy, the Vikings, Twins and golf on TV while working on Word Search puzzles.

She traveled extensively with her husband and friends and spent many winters in Hawaii. Other memorable trips included Vancouver, Alaska, Panama Canal, Fort Myers and Palm Springs.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, husband James R. Downs, son James M. Downs, brother Champ J. Barth and brother-in-law Thomas K. Downs.

Left behind to cherish memories of Lois include son Timothy (Char) Downs; daughter Kimberly (Steve) Horne; grandchildren Tamara (Rich), Robin, Steve Jr, Brenda; great-grandchildren Samantha, Dakota, Miranda, Tyler, Julia, Gavin; great-great grandchild David; and a special sister-in-law Diane. She leaves behind many other friends and relatives, and her beloved cat Georgie. We were blessed that she was cognizant right up until the end which made visiting with her pleasurable - Lois was a great talker and could continue to discuss current events and share many stories.

The family wishes to thank all the Specialists at Park Nicollet for providing excellent care over the years and to HealthPartners and Our Lady of Peace Hospices for their compassionate care at the end of her journey.

Celebration of Life at a later date. Private interment St. Mary’s Cemetery, Minneapolis. Memorials preferred to Animal Humane Society or Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.