Lois Wattman

WATTMAN, LOIS BEVERLY of Lilydale, MN, slipped away to her eternal place in the heavenly choir on September 28 after a brief illness.

Born in Stillwater, MN, on December 24, 1953, to Alf A. Wattman and Lorraine B. Wattman, Lois grew up in nearby Bayport where her father served as pastor of a Lutheran church. A childhood visit to the United Nations sparked a life-long interest in politics and her involvement with the church produced a commitment to social issues.  Her brother, David, noted that she was “born with a voice to be heard.”

Lois was musical and very active in the choir at her father’s church and at school, developing the beautiful singing voice that she trained throughout her lifetime.

She attended Stillwater High School and then went on to Augsburg College where she served as student body Vice President and graduated with honors in 1976. She sang solos with Augsburg’s Concert Choir, and made her first tour abroad with the choir to Norway where they performed a series of concerts. Her final overseas musical trip was to Rome as a guest of the Together In Hope Choir in 2019.

After completing her bachelor’s degree, she pursued an interest in the law and graduated from William Mitchell Law School in 1980, clerking for different federal judges while in school. She spent her entire professional life specializing in healthcare policies, retiring just a few years ago. She worked for the Minnesota Medical Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Allina Health System, and was the President and Principal of Lilydale Partners where she provided consulting services for healthcare and non-profit organizations. She focused a great deal of her career on shaping public health care policy at both state and federal levels, helping the organizations she served function effectively in the rapidly evolving environment of health care, and developing a primary emphasis on Medicare and health care reform. Her contributions were substantial.

She married Douglas A. Shaw, also a health care specialist, in 1988. She became especially active in St. Paul’s Gloria Dei Lutheran Church as a choir member, a soloist, and by assisting in any way she could to help the church and support its work. Gloria Dei Music Director Tim Strand described Lois as a “soprano, lawyer, wife, stepmother, health care policy executive, lover of the church, parliamentarian, board member, creator of beautiful receptions, friend, and one of the biggest helpers and advisors I have ever had,” adding that “Gloria Dei will miss her keen mind, her generous nature, and wise counsel.”

She previously served on the boards of both Lyngblomsten and the National Lutheran Choir. She was a devoted step-mother to Mike and a loving grandparent to his children.

She was preceded in death by her parents as well as her brother, Tim Wattman. She is survived by her husband, Doug Shaw; her step-son, Mike Shaw, his wife, Becky, and their two children, Claire and Wes; and her brother, David Wattman, and his husband, John Karason.

A private family service will be held Monday, October 5, 2020, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. A video recording of the service will be accessible on this website at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Organ Fund.