Dr. Lois Oliver

“It feels like home to be with people you enjoy.”

With Dr. Lois Oliver’s deep ties to Southwest Durham, her decision to move to The Forest at Duke seemed like a no brainer.

After earning her MD from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965, Lois quickly established a name for herself in the field of pediatrics in both the medical and academic communities. Beginning in 1969 and for the next five years, she served as an academic pediatrician at Duke University before moving back to Pittsburgh to teach at her alma mater until 1987. Lois returned to Duke later that year, filling the role of Associate Dean for Medical Education and Medical School Admissions.

Beyond her career, Lois has spent years engaged in a plethora of other activities around the Durham community. She served on both the Durham Library Foundation Board and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens Board. In 1997, she became a docent at Duke Chapel, where she now serves as head docent, informing guests about the Chapel’s history, construction, and beautiful Gothic Revival architecture. She is also a long-time volunteer at Duke Gardens.

Lois joined The Forest’s wait list in 2000 and, attracted to the size of the campus, the bountiful activities, and the beautiful landscaping, chose to become a resident in 2014. Having spent so much of her time in Durham throughout her professional life, this Associate Professor Emerita of Pediatrics knew many of her friends and neighbors at The Forest before she moved into her home at the continuing care retirement community (CCRC).

Since joining her Forest home, Lois has led or co-taught several courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), specifically “Building Duke University Chapel,” which recognizes both the Chapel’s builders as well as their artistry and skills.