Lois M. Hunter

• February 25, 1955 - October 28, 2009

Lois Jean McFadden Hunter, 1506 Dibble Road SW, Aiken, died October 28, 2009, in North Charleston. She was born Feb. 25, 1955, in El Paso, Tex. She was a daughter of the late Col. David Bee and Eleanor Williams McFadden. She is survived by her widower, Scott, and daughter, Eleanor, both of Aiken, and a sister, Harriet Johnson, of Alexandria, Va. Her sister, Dawn, died in 1989. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 224 Barnwell Ave. NW, Aiken, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. Burial will be private. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at George Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 211 Park Ave. SW, Aiken. With her father being a career military officer, Lois lived in a number of cities in the United States, including Fayetteville, N.C., and Alexandria, Va. She also lived in South Korea and Germany. She graduated from Fort Hunt High School in Alexandria. She attended Longwood College and then received a BSN from Clemson University. She was a highly skilled, versatile and compassionate nurse. She was a strong advocate for her patients. She began her career at what was then Aiken Community Hospital, now Aiken Regional Medical Centers. She held a CCRN certification and worked in the Intensive Care Unit for a number of years. She proved capable of filling in quickly and expertly in a number of capacities throughout the hospital. Denise Finkbeiner, chief nursing officer, said, "Lois began her nursing career at Aiken Regional Medical Centers on July 14, 1980, and continued for 29 plus years of service. I have been at ARMC for 30 years, so I expect I have known her my entire career. "Lois worked most recently in Nursing Administration. However, with her background in critical care nursing she worked in many other areas including the Cancer Center, Radiology, Cardiopulmonary, Endoscopy and Infection Control. "Lois was my beloved friend and my colleague. She had a wealth of expertise and eagerly made suggests, was positive and optimistic. She believed in shared accountability and we worked together as colleagues no matter what our title. "She was a mentor to new nurses in the facility as well as a friend. When someone was sick or needed time off, we knew we could count on Lois. Even when she became sick and I told her she would have to 'stay away from sick people,' she quickly replied, 'I can't; that's my job.' "That was what you could expect from Lois — quick wit, tenacious, high expectations and a furious drive for excellence. "I am a better person for knowing Lois, and I will deeply miss her until we meet again." Lois was a loving wife and mother. She called herself, Scott and Eleanor her "little family" and took wonderful care of them. She was an excellent cook and a Master Gardner. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be made to the Lois Jean McFadden Hunter Scholarship in Nursing through the USC Aiken Partnership, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, S.C.; to First Presbyterian Church, 224 Barnwell Ave., Aiken, S.C., 29801; or the United Way of Aiken County, 235 Barnwell Ave., Aiken, S.C. 29801.

Lois Jean McFadden Scholarship

During the memorial service for Lois Jean McFadden Hunter, her husband said, "She was a beautiful woman. She was a good woman. And she was one heck of a nurse." Indeed, she was all three.

Lois was born into a military family. She was born in El Paso, Tex., but also lived in North Carolina, Virginia, South Korea and Germany while growing up. She attended Longwood College, but then transferred to Clemson where she received a BSN.

In 1981, she began a career that would span 28 years at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Lois was an intelligent, versatile and compassionate nurse. Chief Nursing Officer Denise Finkbeiner described her as having "a furious drive for excellence." After several years as a floor nurse, Lois spent many years in ICU. She earned a CCRN certification.

Later, after some health concerns, she left ICU but continued to be a most valuable nurse, working as House Supervisor, in Nursing Administration, the Cancer Center, Radiology, Cardiopulmonary, Endoscopy and Infection Control. She also taught Clinical for USC Aiken students.

Lois was always an advocate for patients, even when it meant disagreeing with a physician. She was adept at quickly seeing both a problem and a solution, whether it was a treatment for a patient or just helping family members find their way through the hospital.

Denise Finkbeiner said, "She was a mentor to new nurses in the facility as well as a friend. When someone was sick or needed time off, we knew we could count on Lois. Even when she became sick and I told her she would have to stay away from sick people, she quickly replied, 'I can't; that's my job.'"

Lois died in October of 2009, following a brief illness.

Lois was married to Scott Hunter. Their daughter is Eleanor. Eleanor and Scott established the scholarship to keep the memory of Lois and her fine work alive. They believe education is the path to a better life. And they feel that helping nursing students financially will lead to both a better life for the student and a stonger community. Their fond hope is that the scholarship recipients will follow Lois' "furious drive for excellence."