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Nov. 20, 1921-Nov. 17, 2022

 

Elizabeth Wooster Singer, passed away in Mission Viejo, California on Nov. 17, 2022. She was 100 years old.
Elizabeth was born in Dowagiac, Michigan, to parents, Lyell and Nita Wooster, on Nov. 20, 1921.
She graduated from Central High School in Dowagiac, class of 1939. After graduation, Elizabeth attended De Pauw University, then transferred to University of Michigan, where she met her husband, Gene Singer. They were married in the Federated Church in Dowagiac in 1940. Continuation in college was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Elizabeth moved back to Dowagiac to live with her parents, while Gene served in Anti-Aircraft in the Pacific. Their first child, Tracy, was born in 1942 at Lee Memorial Hospital in Dowagiac. During the war, Elizabeth worked on USO, Red Cross drives, and taught Sunday school. She also joined the DAR, of which she was president.
After her husband, Gene, returned from the war, the family settled in Dowagiac, where three more children were born: David in 1947, Larry in 1950, and Alex in 1952. The family moved to California in 1955, to pursue better work opportunities for Gene. In 1971, Elizabeth graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a masters in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She established a private practice in Arcadia, where she treated children and adults with communication disorders; she consulted at Arcadia Methodist Hospital and Santa Teresita Hospital. She belonged to the National League of American Penwomen and was a certified audiometrist.
Gene, her husband and “best friend,” spent his career with the international division at Avery-Dennison. Sometimes she was able to accompany him on his trips. In all, Elizabeth visited many countries in Central and South America and Europe, plus New Zealand, Australia, the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Papua New Guinea.
In 1982, Liz and Gene retired to Maui, Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Elizabeth joined the Lahaina Arts Society. She developed a deep interest in water color art, and created many paintings. A highlight for the couple was in 2004, when Liz and Gene attended the Republican National Convention in New York City, where she was an alternate delegate to the convention. She loved the beach, and enjoyed showing her grandchildren the wonders of the sea. She continued to snorkel even in her 80″s.
In 2006, the Singers moved back to the mainland, where they spent their last years in Huntington Beach.
Liz was a beloved mother and grandmother. She is survived by daughters Teresa Halsted, Alexandra Thorpe, and son Larry Singer, in addition to six grandchildren. A son, David Wooster Singer, proceeded her in death, in 2013. Her Husband Gene passed away in 2017, after 75 years of marriage.
A Celebration of Life was held in California, attended by her family. Interment will be private, in the family plot at Riverside Cemetery, Dowagiac. Services will be handled by Clark Chapel and cremation services. Those wishing to sign Elizabeth’s guest book online, may do so at www.clarkch.com