Lois Cardenas (Popp) just celebrated her 82nd birthday living her whole life here in Detroit, Grosse Pointe, and St. Clair Shores. Much of her life was dedicated to community service in the city she has called home for nearly 50 years, serving on the South Lake School Board for decades, first getting elected in the late eighties. To say she was a caring person is an understatement as she was always taking care of someone, either her mother, her late ex-husband, her uncle, her friend Henrietta, one of her nieces, a mother of a co-worker who suffered from Alzheimer's, and the list goes on. She never articulated why she was compelled to care for others; she simply did and volunteered to help whenever someone was in need. She raised two sons and relished the company of her friends and her 5 grandchildren.



Prior to starting a family, she loved to travel, visiting Mexico often and going to Hawaii with her dear friends, the Laethems. She was a dedicated friend to Betsy, Barb, and her Goddaughter Laurie along with Cathie, Denise, Donna, and many more with whom she loved reminiscing, sharing her famous jokes, and visiting when she was able. If you were her friend, a phone call would bring you back together regardless of the miles and time that separate you two.



She loved sailing, flamingos, branch brains, her precious dogs (more than her actual children), the Kingstone Trio, horse racing's triple crown, and a good vodka martini garnished with anchovy stuffed olives.

She would force her kids to watch Johnny Carson and loved when a member of the "Rat Pack" was a guest. Her affinity for Frank Sinatra could be attributed to his song "My Way…". There was no doubt that she did things HER WAY. Her sisters and her kids knew how stubborn she was; there weren't many opportunities to provide insight as once her mind was made up, that was the way it was going to be.



A testament to how caring and dedicated a person she was, her wish for her final resting place is to be with her Grandmother, who passed away when she was much younger. Her Grandmother is buried by herself, and she could not stand that her grandma would be alone for eternity.



She is survived by her two children Edward (Cathe) of St. Clair Shores and Victor (Kathryn) of Novi, her grandchildren; Jacob, Zachary, Lewis, Reina, and Emerson; her sister Sharon Popp (Dr. Robert Frank), her nephew, and her nieces. She is preceded in death by her father and mother, Louis "Sonny" and Theresa Popp, and her sister Dianna Mott (Paul)



Funeral Mass is to be Friday December 17, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc Parish (22412 Overlake St.) in St. Clair Shores. Visitation to be held prior, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Interment will occur privately, at a later date.

Click here to live stream the services for Mrs. Cardenas. https://www.sjascs.org/st-joan-live

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting some of the entities that gave Lois so much joy:

Grosse Pointe War Memorial https://www.warmemorial.org/

The Edsel Ford Estate https://www.fordhouse.org/

South Lake Schools https://www.solake.org/

The St. Clair Shores Memorial Day Parade Fund

Community Cancer Fund at Ascension: https://stjohnprovfoundations.org/cancercare/cancer-care-donation

Heart Institute Fund at Ascension: https://stjohnprovfoundations.org/heartandvascularcare/heart-centers-donation