Ministry owner dies at 87

Lois Steiner

At 87 years old, most people are living their dream of retirement. But not so for the late Queen of Peace Catholic Church parishioner Lois Steiner, who passed away Nov. 3.

Up until earlier this year, Steiner still worked from 50 to 80 hours a week to ensure the success of her ministry, the Divine Providence Thrift Store at 8888 State Road 200, Ocala.

Steiner had said in the past that the “one thing I know how to do is work.”

All proceeds of the store go to support the pro-life movement. Steiner said previously that the mission of the store is to serve God by serving his people with honesty and integrity and to use the resources received there to protect human life from conception to natural death.

Originally from Ohio, Steiner was born June 29, 1938. She was initially an administrative secretary for Owens Corning, a fiberglass company. She and her former husband Russell were the parents of nine children, some of whom were adopted.

Steiner lived in Ocala for more than 25 years and started Divine Providence in 2003. The name comes from an order of nuns in Providence, Rhode Island. She had indicated in the past that she was inspired by her aunt, Sister Providentia of the Order of Divine Providence.

According to a previous conversation with Steiner, the staff of the ministry is all volunteer, with no one taking a salary, including herself.

“In 20 years in Ocala I have never met anyone as dedicated to the cause of Christ as Lois. I believe she has been divinely appointed to do her job and she has not shirked her commitment to our Lord,” said Chaplain Bob Miller, director of the Ocala Farm Ministry, of Steiner.

Thomas Root, a local attorney and Queen of Peace parishioner, said, “I do not know of anyone who knew her and did not admire her. She was a tireless worker, which inspired the volunteers to greater efforts.”

Root acts as the unofficial legal counsel to the board of directors for Divine Providence. According to Root, the current board, “Will continue, God willing, to carry on Lois’ mission of protecting the unborn for many years to come.”

The current board is under the guidance of Queen of Peace parishioner Domenick Galatolo.

“There will always be only one Lois. She gave her whole life to what she believed in, which is the pro-life movement. We will keep her legacy alive the best way we can. Our proceeds will continue to be for the pro-life movement,” Galatolo said.

Root said Steiner strove to run as lean an organization as possible and spent no more than necessary to maintain the store.

After the necessary expenditures for the store, the balance of the store’s income is divided and donated to causes such as the Alpha Center for Women, Created Equal, Gianna’s Place, Life Can, Choose Life, Sisters of Life, Students for Life PreBorn, Brother’s Keeper, Return to Order, The Thomas Moore Society and The American Center for Law and Justice.

“Of all the rich men and women I have met in my life, Lois gave more than any of them. Unlike most supporters who often give out of their excess, Lois gave out of her poverty. She was like the widow who put two mites into the treasury…I have never met a more selfless person. Her love for Jesus and the babies was an inspiration to me and our team,” said Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal.

Items at the thrift store are very inexpensive. Most clothing items are 5 to 10 cents for each piece. There is a boutique section with clothes costing a little more. Daily sales are offered. Dry food goods are accepted and will be given to local homeless shelters and needy people.

Examples of the many services provided through the outreach are items to shut ins and those in nursing homes, supplying food items to soup kitchens, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, items donated to the AA program, items given to Ecuadorian residents, paperback books given to patients with mental disorders, help for people recently coming out of alcohol and drug treatment programs and more.

When the 351^st Army comes back from deployment around Christmas, the thrift store ministry will help supply gifts for the wives and stuffed animals for the children, along with Christmas decorations for a local veterans’ park.

According to her obituary online, Steiner is survived by her former husband, Russell A. Steiner, daughters Marlise (John Smilo) Hitchens, Vicki Ahlstrom, Leanna Steiner, Lori (Rusty Richardson) Price, Julia (Adam) Felts and son Tim Steiner, sister Betty K. Hecht, and sister-in-law Joanne Spatz, as well as 13 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Services are pending at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala.