Loma J. Hallissy

In the course of her ninety-six years, Loma Hallissy (Anderson) packed several lifetimes into one. She was a woman of her time, before her time. She rode her bike through the docks of London while the Blitz raged directly overhead; she was a trained WASP pilot in World War II; and, up until the age of ninety, she travelled to the most remote corners of the world, touching down on every continent in the process, including the Arctic and Antarctic several times over. She was a hobbyist genealogist who, long before the Internet, painstakingly traced her family roots dating as far back as the Revolutionary War. She was as diligent and highly intelligent in this realm of her life as she was in so many others. Loma was an adventurous, unstoppable, indefatigable force.

Loma was born to renowned political cartoonist Jesse “Vet” Sylvester Anderson and Emily Joan Rees on November 19, 1921 in Paris, France. Until age eight, she lived with her parents and brother Jack Anderson in New York City and Madison, New Jersey. The remainder of her childhood and young adulthood were spent in her Aunt Alice’s care in London, England. Loma returned to the U.S. during World War II, where she met her beloved husband Daniel Hallissy. Together with Daniel’s family, they ran Eckley Resort and ferry boat, a family and fishing destination located along the Carquinez Straits. Eventually, they moved ten miles inland, and together opened Danlos Kennels, a dog and cat boarding facility, where Loma also raised Shetland Sheepdogs and taught dog obedience classes.

Loma and Daniel had four children (Danny Hallissy, Kathleen Hallissy, Sheila Van Noy, and Eileen Hanson); ten grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Loma’s legacy of strength, determination, fortitude, generosity, and a willingness to march to the beat of her own drummer will survive and inspire long beyond her lifetime.

Visitation will be Tues. Apr. 10, 2018 from 5-8PM at Ouimet Bros. Concord Funeral Chapel with a Vigil Service at 7PM. Funeral Liturgy will be Wed. Apr. 11, 2018 at 11AM at St. Anne Catholic Church 2800 Camino Diablo in Byron, CA. Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loma J. Hallissy, please visit our floral store.