LOIS ANNE FORSBERG

Lois Anne Forsberg (née Elliott), 95, passed away on January 22, in Winnipeg. She remained a sharp and engaged presence until the end of her life, and on her final day she was comfortable, at peace, and visited by loved ones. 

Lois was born in Saskatoon on August 14, 1930, and grew up in rural Saskatchewan. She gained her teacher’s credential at the Saskatoon Normal School (which later became part of the University of Saskatchewan) and taught in country schoolhouses in Traynor and Herschel. She would soon meet her lifelong partner and husband, Donald Forsberg, and moved to Scott, Saskatchewan in 1951. There, Don built their house and worked as a research assistant. It was in Scott that Lois’ two children Neil and Lisa were born. 

In 1962 Lois and family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where Don undertook a job in the private sector. Shortly thereafter, Lois began attending the University of Winnipeg where she earned a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology. Following this, she attended the University of Manitoba and received a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1974, a rare accomplishment for a woman of her generation, which she remained rightfully proud of for the rest of her life. After graduation, Lois worked as a school psychologist for the St. James School Division and later the Portage La Prairie School Division. She and Don retired to Brandon in 1991 to be closer to family. There she lived until Don’s passing in 2018 and a final move back to Winnipeg in 2022.

Lois was a generous person who cared deeply for her family and made sure to keep up to date with the finer details of everyone’s lives. Later in life, Lois and Don traveled extensively, visiting locations across Canada and the United States, as well as other countries such as Sweden, the UK, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. She was a lover of music, and could often be found in front of the piano. She was also a prolific reader and writer, spending two years researching and crafting the book Prairie Ghosts: True Manitoba Ghost Stories as well as a memoir detailing her life growing up in Saskatchewan in the 1930s and 40s. Lois maintained connections with many relatives and friends over the decades and was a repository of family lore and genealogy, with the ability to recall names and birthdates of relatives who lived as far back as the 1800s. 

Lois is survived by her two children (Neil [Azizah] and Lisa [Tom]), five grandchildren (Nathan [Jackie], Tanis [Tim], Amelia [Matt], Marshall [Raquel] and Johan) and eight great-grandchildren (Paul, Maverick, Calla, Cecilia, Ione, Jack, Levon, and Naomi).

At this time, there are no plans for a formal memorial service. Anyone who wishes to support Lois can make a donation to the Don and Lois Forsberg Scholarship (dedicated to Saskatchewan agriculture students) with the University of Saskatchewan. She will be put to rest alongside Don in the Couteau Cemetery (near Macrorie, Saskatchewan) later this year.

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