Lois O'Banion

Commander Lois O’Banion, Nurse Corp, US Naval Reserve (Retired), passed away at St. Vincent’s Hospice on May 7, 2019. She was born on April 1, 1926 in Newport, Kentucky. Lois was the daughter of Bryan and Florence O’Banion. She was pre-deceased by her brother, Orville O’Banion and is survived by her sister, Janet Craig of Utica, New York.

Lois graduated from the Jewish Hospital School of Nursing in 1947 and worked at the hospital until 1958 when she joined the United States Navy as an operating room nurse. Lois also had completed a post graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania in operating room techniques and management in 1955. While stationed with the Navy at Pensacola, Florida, she completed and Associate of Arts degree at Pensacola Junior College.

In her Navy career, Lois served at Naval Hospitals in Portsmouth, Virginia; Kodiak, Alaska; Jacksonville, Florida; Guam, Mariana Islands and Pensacola, Florida. She served in multiple medical units at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center in Indianapolis in her time in the Naval Reserve.

Lois also worked as an OR nurse at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Indianapolis from 1973-1986. Lois also volunteered to help at the Hawley Army Community Hospital at Fort Benjamin Harrison during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. She was also a valued Board Member and volunteer from 1990 to 1996 in the construction of the USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35) Memorial.

Commander O’Banion also served as the first female state President of the Reserve Officers Association from 1994 to 1995 and was recognized with the ROA National Minuteman Award.

Other volunteer activities included the Shepard Center of the Northside United Methodist Church and the Children’s Museum.

Memorial services will be held at North United Methodist Church, 3808 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis at 3pm on Monday, May 13, 2019, where friends may gather from 2:15pm until the service time. Burial will be at a later date in Newport, Kentucky.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Church or The Salvation Army of Central Indiana at 6060 Castleway W. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46250.