Lois Jean Dion-Roberts, 87, of Manchester, CT, died January 31st 2016. Lois Jean was born on May 8, 1928, in Wilkinsburg, PA, to Joseph and Mary Day. She attended Manchester High School and went on to St. Joseph College, School of Nursing, graduating in 1950 with a BS in Nursing and a Teaching Certificate for secondary school in Biology and Chemistry. She later returned to St. Joseph College and graduated in 1970 with an MA to teach grades 1 through 8. In 1950, Lois Jean was the head nurse at Manchester Convalescent Home for a couple of years and then became a visiting nurse for the Boston Public Health Nurses Association and later for the Hartford Public Health Nurses Association. She then changed careers and from 1970 to 1990 she was a teacher in Manchester at Bennett Jr. High teaching Math and Biology and then at Manchester High School where she taught Biology, Chemistry and Health. Lois Jean was a loving, caring wife and mother. She was very creative and made many beautiful wreaths and decorative things. She had a talent for gardening. She was very active and enjoyed playing tennis and doing aerobics. She ran the Manchester Road Race from 1990 to 2005 (stopping when she was 67). Lois Jean was Italian, and although she spoke only a few words, she loved to listen to Italian music and would sing along. Dancing was another love. She did square dancing and particularly loved to polka. Lois Jean is survived by four children, Maryann Altieri, Donna Murphy and her husband Richard Murphy, Mark Dion and Michael Dion and his wife Lisa Dion. She had eight grandchildren, survived by seven and ten great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughter Theresa Vontell. Lois Jean was also predeceased by her loving husband of 51 years, Wilfred (Bill) F. Dion, and her second husband, whom she married a couple of years after Bill's death at the age of 77, John (Jack) L. Roberts, and spent 4 1/2 happy years with him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 5th, at St. James Church 896 Main St., Manchester. Burial will follow at St. James Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 West Center St., Manchester on Thursday, February 4th, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com .