Lois Elaine Smith-Zoll

Lois Elaine Smith-Zoll was born on March 14, 1937, in Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin, to Theodore and Arlene (Peterson) Larson. She moved to Vancouver in 1965 and built a rich life there filled with music, service, and community.

In 1967, Lois married Dr. Harold “Gene” Smith; they shared twenty-six years together until his death in 1993. She later married Edwin Zoll, and the two remained devoted partners until his passing in 2015.

An accomplished singer, Lois had the honor of performing the national anthem for the Portland Trail Blazers. She also dedicated more than five decades of volunteer service to the Miss America pageant at the local, state, and national levels. Her passion for empowering young women will live on through scholarships awarded in her memory at the Miss Washington Pageant this July.

Lois is remembered with deep affection by those whose lives she touched through her voice, her generosity, and her steadfast commitment to community.