Lois Graves - Friend of Sparks High School

Lois Graves, a highly respected woman who resided in Reno, Nevada for many years, was born in Ogden, Utah on February 27, 1920. She moved with her family to the Reno area in 1935. Lois graduated from Reno High School in 1946, which at the same time was a huge rival of Sparks High School. The two schools were the only high schools in the area at the time.

She was very involved with many high school activities including roller skating, skiing, marching band and the business club. In September of 1944, she and her high school class were involved in establishing Huskies Haven, a teen center for high school-aged youth. In addition to being civic minded with all of her extracurricular activities, Lois maintained an after-school part-time job at the Mount Rose Coffee Shop. After high school graduation, she studied economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. She married Orsie Graves and had three children.

Lois was active at Sparks High School for many years. She taught for fourteen years as a permanent substitute. Her husband, Orsie Graves, was a coach at Sparks High School for many years. Our gymnasium, here at Sparks High, is named in his honor. Lois and her husband went to the dances, chaperoned and checked coats. She laughed at the memory of being asked to dance by some of the jokesters of the school during the dances. In addition, she and her husband were instrumental in the growth and success of the Sparks Heritage Museum.

Lois continues to be active in our community; she currently assists the League of Sparks, is active in her church, and enjoys gardening and reading historical novels and mysteries. She is also an active member of the Sparks High School Alumni Association. Of all the things that Lois has done in her life, she is most proud of her children and their accomplishments. All of her children not only graduated from Sparks High but also from the University of Nevada, Reno and are all very successful in their careers. Brad, her oldest, is a physician. Her daughter, Leslie, is a physical therapist, and her youngest daughter, Trisha, is a teacher.

Lois has contributed so much to Sparks High. The school has been the benefactor of her efforts. Lois joins her late husband, Orsie, as a member of the Sparks High School Hall of Fame.

Inducted 2007