Lois Schine, an engineer who transitioned into nonprofit leadership role within Fairfield County, passed away on July 7 at the age of 95.
According to her obituary on the 06880 blog, she was born Lois Gildersleeve in 1927 in Brooklyn, and could trace her family roots English settlers who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635. She graduated second in her class from Pratt Institute in 1947, with a degree in mechanical engineering and was the only woman in that program ”“ the Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering society bestowed an “Honorary Member” designation on her because it would not accept female members (she was retroactively named a full member in the 1960s.) While she was a student, she was a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers.
After graduation, she worked for General Electric in advanced engineering and research and taught engineering courses at the University of Bridgeport. She married attorney Leonard Schine in 1951 and left the workforce to raise their five children from their Westport home.
When Schine returned to the workforce, she initially worked as an engineering consultant before changing careers to become director of volunteer services at Bridgeport Hospital, overseeing 700 volunteers. She was president of both the Connecticut Association of Directors of Volunteer Services, and the New England Association of Volunteer Directors.
In 1988, she was named executive director of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, a position she held for 16 years. She also served on the Westport RTM for 20 years and was a trustee at Sacred Heart University and a board member at the Near & Far Aid Association.
