Loulie Canady, a longtime friend and supporter of the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts and Media, died on March 8, 2025, at 93 years old.
William and Loulie Canady (seated) pose with the 2012 Canady Scholars. Since they established the Valerie Canady Charitable Trust Foundation more than 35 years ago, hundreds of students have benefitted from their financial support.
Loulie was the wife of William Canady (1924-2017) and mother of Valerie Canady (1963-1988). Loulie was born in Bogotá, Colombia, where she lived until her family returned to the United States when she was six, settling in Welcome, Maryland. Though illness prevented her from completing a formal education, Loulie was a lifelong learner. Her many interests included art, music, history, travel, antiques and cooking. She remained fluent in Spanish her entire life and had a deep love for humanity.
Loulie and William found their way to Morgantown when he took a position teaching Biochemistry at WVU. Loulie was active in the Morgantown community, serving on the Friends of West Virginia Public Broadcasting and Morgantown Public Library boards, and as president of the Morgantown Women’s Music Club. Her dedication to supporting arts and language at West Virginia University left an unforgettable legacy for students, staff, faculty and the Morgantown community.
Loulie’s life was forever changed when she and William’s daughter, Valerie, was tragically killed in the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Valerie was an accountant in London at the time and was coming home to spend Christmas with her family and get married. Amid such tragedy, Loulie and William were determined to honor their daughter, who was an accomplished linguist, pianist and artist.
“We had to do something,” Loulie told The Dominion Post. “We just had to have something beautiful come out of something so horrible.”
The Canadys reached out to the College of Creative Arts (now College of Creative Arts and Media), where Valerie studied, and established the Valerie Canady Charitable Trust Foundation with a settlement they received from Valerie’s death. The foundation remains a source of opportunities for CCAM students.
“We created the foundation in her honor, which has allowed us to make a positive impact on the lives of others,” Loulie said.
Each year, the foundation presents Canady Scholarships to students with a grade point average of 3.5 and higher who are verbally fluent in two languages and have received three faculty letters of reference. The Canadys also created the Canady Chamber Series, which brings classical music acts from across the world to Morgantown, and they played an important philanthropic role in creating the Art Museum of WVU.
After William’s passing, Loulie continued to show support for the college and causes Valerie was passionate about, attending Canady Scholarship presentations and other events, even when her health began to fail.
“Loulie believed that art and language are important tools for establishing greater understanding among humanity. Her dedication to continuously honoring her daughter through these causes is an inspiration to us all.” Keith Jackson Dean of the College of Creative Arts and Media
In 2013, the College of Creative Arts Visiting Committee honored Loulie and William with the College’s Distinguished Friend Award for their extraordinary commitment and contributions to the College and West Virginia University. In 2018, they were named as Most Loyal West Virginians by the university.
In 2020, the College of Creative Arts honored the Canady Family by renaming the Creative Arts Center to the Loulie, Valerie and William Canady Creative Arts Center and established the Canady Fund for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts, which provides arts programming, educational enrichment opportunities, building improvements and discretionary support to benefit students, faculty and staff within the College of Creative Arts and Media.
“Loulie, Valerie and William’s passion for the arts proves that art reflects the beauty of the human condition,” Jackson said. “Seeing their names serves as a daily reminder of our larger role as artists in society.”
A celebration of Loulie's life will be held on Monday, April 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Canady Creative Arts Center, 1436 Evansdale Drive, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Free parking will be available in the Canady Creative Arts Center lots during this time. All are welcome; no RSVP is necessary.
Loulie's full obituary is available here.