Lois M. Duffin, 86, a commercial orchid grower and a church musician, died March 14 at her home in Mt. Airy.
Mrs. Duffin started growing orchids in 1960 as a hobby after she was able to get her first orchid to bloom again. The hobby soon became a passion and in 1990, joined by her late husband, Jim, founded Lois Duffin Orchids, one of the largest orchid growing businesses in the Philadelphia area.
The business grew from a greenhouse attached to the Duffins’ Mt. Airy home to several rented spaces in the area to their own greenhouses in Wyndmoor, where they not only sold plants but also rented plants and spaces to other orchid growers.
The Duffins were regular exhibitors at the Philadelphia Flower Show since the 1980s and had won numerous awards over the years. They also participated in the Greater New York Orchid Show, Deep Cut Orchid Show and Southern Pennsylvania Orchid Society shows and received many awards.
Mrs. Duffin’s skill and knowledge of growing orchids quickly earned her a reputation such that a she was sought after as consultant by area florists for their customers’ trickier orchid problems. She served as president of the Greater Philadelphia Orchid Society for 25 years.
Born Lois M. Siefert on the family dairy farm in Bowling Green, Ohio, she attended local public schools and developed a strong interest in music, especially in playing the guitar. After joining the Grail, a lay Catholic women’s organization, she used her talents in group prayer settings and was exposed to Gregorian chant and other church music forms.
She continued to play at home Masses in Mt. Airy after her marriage in 1957, and in 1968 started the guitar Mass at Holy Cross Church, which she led for over 30 years. The Mass became a model for many churches, and she lectured on the use of folk-style church music.
She served on the board of the Association of Church Musicians in Philadelphia from 1983 to 1989 and also worked as a booking agent for composers Sebastian Temple and Joe Wise, and for local folk musician George Brittain.
Mrs. Duffin is survived by sons Neil, Sean D. and James M.; daughters Josefa M. and Angela; and a grandson. Her husband and a son, Martin, preceded her in death.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 140 E. Mt. Airy Ave., in Mt. Airy. Relatives and friends may call at the church after 9:30 a.m.
Memorial donations may be made to Catholic Social Services of Philadelphia, 222 North 17th St., 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or to Camilla Hall Nursing Home, 1145 King Road, Box 100, Immaculata, PA 19345. – W.F.
