Lois Alleene Fountain, R.N.

Lois Alleene Fountain, R.N. went to be with her Lord on April 19, 2020 at age 76. Though she lived in San Marcos, Texas for most of her adult life, she was born and lived in Mexico City, Mexico until the age of 15 when she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to complete her high school education. At age three she contracted poliomyelitis and was initially fully paralyzed. Excellent medical care, especially from the Shriners Hospital for Children, led to her passion for nursing others into health and her Registered Nursing degree at Mather School of Nursing in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her first professional nursing position was at Metropolitan Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. This was followed by work in Oakland, California and then back in San Antonio at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. She met and married Air Force Captain Benjamin Ellis Head, Jr. and continued living in San Antonio until her dear friend Dr. Kenneth Long hired her to work with him in San Marcos. In 1979 the Hays Memorial Hospital hired her as lead nurse in the labor and delivery department. During her 27 years at HMS, which later became Central Texas Medical Center, she served in many departments with a great passion for her work and service. Before retiring in 2006, she worked on quality assurance and oversaw the nursing peer review process. Her colleagues say she embraced the highest standards of nursing care.

Lois was gracious, loving and creative. She was a great cook who loved to invent new recipes and entertain with intimate dinners and picnics. Among her other creative endeavors were calligraphy, sewing, quilting, embroidery and gardening. She especially enjoyed sewing items for hospitalized children and embroidering garments for her friends and family. In particular, she enjoyed sneaking personal and humorous messages into the stitches. As a fun-loving and joyful person, a highlight of her years in San Antonio was the role of a brightly decked out “saloon floozy” in the Western section of Night in Old San Antonio. Her treasured membership in the San Antonio Conservation Society lasted long after her move to San Marcos.

As the wife of a teacher at San Marcos Baptist Academy, Lois engaged with that academic environment by sharing her talents and resources. Other beneficiaries included Baylor and Trinity Universities and the Shriners Hospital for Children.

She spent her last years within “the beautiful yellow walls” of Orchard Park in Kyle, Texas and loved all the other residents and staff, never letting them forget she was a nurse. The family especially appreciates the care she received from the gentle and caring staff, Roxanne Figures, and Encompass Health Hospice.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Ellis Head, Jr. and her parents Thomas and Iona Fountain. She is survived by her sisters Sarah Willingham of Wimberley, Dr. Joanna Fountain of Austin, Sharon Fountain, Deborah Fountain of California and her brother John Fountain of North Carolina. She is also especially missed by her niece and goddaughter Peggy Willingham of Wimberley and niece Stacey Chambers of Austin along with many cousins throughout the country. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children or to Hospice.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Marcos on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. Guests are requested to wear masks and arrive a few minutes early for distance seating.