Community Corner

An Angel Unaware: Lois Zane Honored For Her Volunteerism

This year's Bernard Rosenberg Award recipient made an impact quietly, due to her humble demeanor.

 

Bright and glowing.

An angel-unaware.

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The most mighty volunteer of them all.

These are just some of the words used to describe Lois Zane, this year's recipient of the Planning Commission's Bernard Rosenberg Award.

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The February 1 reception and award ceremony for Zane was a celebratory event. Laughter bounced off the walls of the Senior Community Center as the youngest of Zane's family members weaved in and out of the crowd, snapping photographs of the event and handing Zane a bouquet of flowers.

"I often said that I wished the people in my private life could meet the people in my public life -- and here you all are," Zane said, with a hint of wonder in her voice.

In the days leading up to the reception, Zane said she was overwhelmed by the honor. The Bernard Rosenberg Award is named after a Planning Commission member who contributed greatly to Woodbury in a volunteer capacity.

As everyone who spoke at the reception described her, Zane is not one to seek the limelight.

"I met Lois at the counter of what was then Philip's Diner in 1995," said Theresa Sherwood of Woodbury Pewter, who engraved Zane's name on the Bernard Rosenberg Award plaque. The plaque hangs on the wall of the Shove Conference Room. "She is one of the most generous and understated women I've ever met. She would never toot her own horn."

Zane's contributions to the town include volunteering at the Glebe House and the Gertrude Jekyll Garden for more than 26 years and at  St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

"Volunteering at the Glebe House is not work - it's fun," she said. "I tinkered around a lot in the garden."

But that tinkering around the garden is really so much more. She knows every plant, flower and weed in that garden and truly loves the Glebe House.

As the museum registrar, Zane was responsible for maintaining collection records and museum archives. She also cared for the collections and the house.

"Lois is as quiet as a church mouse but accomplishes more than an army of people," said fellow St. Paul's parishioner Mariana Daniels in a press release on the Bernard Rosenberg Award ceremony for Zane. "If you drive by St. Paul's any day of the week, you will see her car parked in front and know that she is busy. She loves the church so much that she’s always looking to see what improvement she can make, whether cleaning under the kneelers, washing the woodwork, vacuuming the seat cushions, polishing the silver or tending some of the records."

Daniels said Zane does all these things out of the goodness of her heart.

"All of these things are done without asking and without praise," she said. "They are done out of love for the property and taking pride in her beloved church. I have often said, 'I don't know what St. Paul's would be without Lois Zane'."

But at the awards ceremony, the time for praise had come.

"The most mighty volunteer of all is Lois," said Planning Commission member Eileen Denver. "She's the spirit of the Glebe House and I love her."

Every year, the Planning Commission receives nominations of exceptional volunteers who contribute to the betterment of Woodbury. Planning Commission member Bob Travers had the honor of contacting Zane about her nomination and true to the kind of person Zane is, a lot of her good deeds are done behind the scenes.

"Until the selection, I didn't know anything about Lois Zane," he said, "but a lot of people did know about her. And the response from those people was, 'this year, you've done a really good job'."

Bonnie Leavenworth said she's known Zane for 40 years.

"She's just been a wonderful friend," said Leavenworth. "She would do anything for you, very quietly."

Zane said when Travers first called her and left a message, she did not return his call.

"At first, when Bob Travers called me, I thought - the only reason Bob Travers would call me is for something political, and I'm not political, so I didn't return his call," she said, with a smile. "Then I thought, 'I'm a nice person.' So I called him back."

Judith Kelz, director of the Glebe House and the one who nominated Zane, said she knew her friend would be overwhelmed by the nomination due to her humble spirit.

"It's human nature to want a pat on the back," said Kelz. "But not Lois - she would never seek it out."

Kelz said it has been her good fortune to work with Zane over the years. In Kelz' mind, the award went to the greatest person this year.

"The last thing Lois wants in the world is recognition and that makes it all the sweeter," she said.


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