Lois Ann Nadler Cugini passed away peacefully at her San Antonio Tlayacapan home on Wednesday, August 13, with her beloved son and daughter at her bedside. A well-known and admired lakeside resident for 43 years, she was 81 years old.
Lois was born on March 13, 1943, in Red Bank, New Jersey, where her father was stationed at a World War II army base. She grew up in the Newton suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, where she attended high school, later studying at Chandler Women’s Business School.
Lois gained early experience in retail sales working for Filene’s Department Store and the Sandler Shoe Company. She later became a leading real estate agent in the Boston area.
In 1965, at the age of 21, she married Boston architect Gerard Cugini, with whom she had two children. While her husband built a distinguished career in his field, Lois made her mark through involvement in important community organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, the Erich Lindeman Mental Health Center, and the Historic Neighborhood Foundation.
In 1972, the couple was featured in a Boston Globe story after Gerard earned first place in a national architecture contest for his innovative renovations of an old warehouse converted into a handsome two-story home. For this achievement, they were awarded a 48-day vacation trip to the Orient.
Their love for world travel led to a 1976 visit to Guadalajara and a side trip to Lake Chapala. By the end of that year, they had purchased land in Vista del Lago, where Gerard designed and built a stunning avant-garde lakeview home. Initially planned as a vacation residence, it became home to Lois and her children in 1982 when she and her spouse divorced. After selling the house, Lois relocated to several Ajijic addresses before finally planting permanent roots in her beautiful San Antonio garden estate.
As a single mom, Lois quickly went into business to support her young family. While the kids were enrolled in bilingual education at Oak Hill School, she partnered with local interior designer Saúl Gutiérrez to open her first clothing shop at the former Tejaban restaurant in downtown Ajijic. She later moved the business to the corner of Morelos and Independencia, where she operated Cugini’s Opus Boutique. Her merchandise included an array of Mexican fashion, accessories, and select artisan crafts. The distinctive exterior decoration with lithe, floral-headed models painted by Ajijic artist Bruno Mariscal turned the store into an iconic spot for village scenery photographs.
While running a thriving business for over three decades, Lois never wavered in her support for worthy community causes. From her first years in the area, she was renowned for organizing fashion runway shows as fundraisers for countless non-profit organizations. These events often featured clothing by top Guadalajara designers Diana Martin and Manuel García de Alba, among other fashion industry leaders.
In 2001, Lois sponsored the opening and operation of the San Antonio Children’s Library. She was also a dedicated patron of Mexican artists, acquiring an amazing collection of paintings and folk art to adorn her homestead.
Around 1991, Lois married Lee Murphy, a pioneer in lakeside satellite services and an active member of Lakeside Little Theatre. He moved back to southern California in 2000 to undergo medical treatment.
Lois herself valiantly battled declining health over the past five years, finally succumbing to pneumonia after a month of hospitalization.
Short in stature but giant in spunky spirit, Lois is remembered by friends and associates for her big heart, love for dancing, and healthy appetite for tequila—always the life of the party on festive occasions. She was a perfect example of the “dust on my heart” syndrome, unable to find greater contentment anywhere else on earth.
Lois was preceded in death by both of her former husbands. She is survived by her brother Jerry Nadler and wife Ling of California; son Gregory Cugini, his wife Kristie, and their three children in Arizona; daughter Angela Cugini-Girad, husband Steve, their three children, and a grandson in New York.
Greg and Angela extend deep gratitude to Annette and Paul Turner, Jessica Phillips and other lakeside residents who lent their support during their mother’s final illness. Cherished friends will be invited to remember Lois at a celebration of her life to be scheduled in October.