Lois Land is a true inspiration and a treasure to her Coronado neighborhood.
She attended the Centenarian event at the Coronado Public Library on July 21, where she shared a bit about her journey to 100 years old. And she recently visited with The Coronado News about her life of perseverance.
Land was born in Los Angeles, on Feb. 12, 1923, and her first year in San Diego and Coronando was 1940.
Land said she loves Coronado and her neighbors who threw her an epic 100th birthday party with flowers and cake.
The Navy brought her to Coronado
Land said she grew up visiting Coronado because her father’s sister lived in the Crown City because her husband was in the Navy.
Shortly after Land graduated from San Diego High School, she said she knew she wanted to do something for the war effort.
So, Land was hired by Consolidated Aircraft, where she was a planning clerk.
Land said she was dating “a wonderful man” who she met in Coronado at the time, and his name was Paul Lowthian.
Permission to get married
Lowthian had a love for flying and had just received his pilot’s license with a goal of getting into the Navy’s Cadet Pilot Program.
Lowthian was accepted into the program, but that meant he was sent to Los Alamitos, where an airfield was used to train U.S. Navy pilots during World War II.
“I would take the bus up to visit him every once in a while,” she said.
Lowthian later went to Corpus Christi, Texas to get his wings and was commission as an Ensign.
Shortly thereafter she said two were engaged and were off to Norfolk,Virginia.
Back in those days, we had to get his CO’S (commanding officer) permission to get married.”
-Lois Land.
“Back in those days, we had to get his CO’S (commanding officer) permission to get married,” she said.
War took first husband
Land and her husband got married when she was 20, while he was 22, in the Chapel in the Administrative Building at North Island.
Unfortunately, six months after they were married, Land’s husband had gotten orders to fly to England and ferry a bomber back to the United States so that they could perform repairs.
On the flight home, the plane Lands’ husband was on crashed into sea.
There were no survivors.
Land’s husband was a part of the first group in Coronado to be selected for the recognition of the “Avenue of Heroes.”
Land decided that it was time to move home to Coronado, where she got a job at NAS North Island.
Falling in love again with a ‘Coronado boy’
After eight years went by, Land started dating Lee Land Jr., whom she said was also a “Coronado boy” who also worked at North Island.
The two were married in 1951, and Land stopped working to stay at home and raise their two children, Barbara and Laurie.
During these years of Land’s life, she began playing Bridge and joined the Coronado Woman’s Club of which she said she’s the longest standing member. She’s also a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
When Land’s children were off to college, she started working again.
Lands’ old boss at North Island was still there so after 22 years, she was hired and was put into the Naval Air Rework Facility.
A people person who loves the work
Land said she was a very hard and determined worker and became a personnel assistant, doing that job for 11 years until retiring in 1985.
Land stated that she is a people person and truly loved the work.
Land and her husband spent their retirement life traveling to many foreign countries. Land stated that her favorite trip was to Kenya.
Land lost her husband, Lee, in 2013. They were married for 62 years.
Land noted how weird it is to start losing friends to old age and that it’s an odd feeling being older than everyone.
Physical activity the key to remain healthy
Land noted that physical activity is important to remain healthy and live to an old age, and she still drives around Coronado.
Land added she’s an 11th generation member of the Pilgrims Society, an organization of people who have documented their descendants from one or more passengers on the Mayflower.
“I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had tragedy, yes, but you have to move forward,” said Land.
