Loris Toole March 18, 1923 — Oct. 5, 2018

Loris Toole, 95, of Billings, passed away on Oct. 5, 2018. She was born March 18, 1923, to Harry and Tony Knoll in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She graduated from Wauwatosa High School in the spring of 1941.

Loris earned a bachelor's of science degree in Nutrition and Experimental Food from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1945. Loris was one of the original "Irma Harding" women working for the International Harvester Co., a manufacturer of newly mass-produced home freezers. In her work, she educated dealers and distributors on the methods and benefits of home-frozen foods. She traveled the country and was ultimately headquartered in San Francisco.

In 1951, while traveling for work in Missoula, Loris was set up on a blind date with Bruce Toole, a young attorney who had recently graduated from the University of Montana. Within months, the couple married and moved to Billings to start a career and family. They had a full and happy life, loving each other and their family, and pursuing their work and interests.

Nutrition and Food Science was one of Loris' strong interests and for the majority of her adult life she studied, worked or volunteered in this field. She later attended graduate school in these areas at Eastern Montana College in Billings as well as at Montana State University in Bozeman.

Loris was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce, in 2005. She is survived by her three children, Marjorie (Angus) in Billings, Ryan in Denver and Allan (Ann) in Seattle; as well as eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the Mayflower United Church of Christ, 2940 Poly Drive, Billings, MT 59102. She was a lifelong lover of the arts; memorials may be sent in Loris' memory to the Billings Studio Theatre.