Dorothy Elaine Lewis' Obituary
Dorothy Elaine Lewis passed away quietly following complications arising from a
fall in March of this year. It was only two weeks earlier, on July 15, that she
marked her 96th birthday.
Born in Jamaica in 1926 to Mary Foote and Ernest Swaby, she studied midwifery
in Kingston where she met and married Leonard Lewis and had four children:
Elenor, Leslie, Milton and Winston. For several years she worked at Kingston
Public Hospital before visiting the United States in 1963. In 1965 she returned to
the US to work for the Hopkins family as an au pere caring for Mark, a new born
baby. Two years later, in 1967, her husband and children joined her and they
settled in Poughkeepsie, NY, where they enjoyed a wonderful life.
It was during that time that she decided to follow another hospital career and so
she studied nursing. Dorothy became an LPN at St. Francis Hospital where she
enjoyed a career that she absolutely treasured. What was notable about her job
as a nurse is that she shared countless fascinating stories about everyone she
encountered throughout her work day. The pictures we gleaned from those were
that not only did she love her job but the people on the job loved her back in a big
way.
After retiring in 1988, she spent quite a bit of time in Odessa, Florida with her son
Milton, his wife, Jackie, and his budding family. She loved it so much that her
husband, Leonard, finally conceded to join her here. And so, it was in Tampa
that she made her final exit.
Dorothy is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, twelve great
grandchildren and two great grandchildren plus many nieces and nephews.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to St. Jude’s
Children’s Research Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children and Doctors
Without Borders.
What’s your fondest memory of Dorothy?
What’s a lesson you learned from Dorothy?
Share a story where Dorothy's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Dorothy you’ll never forget.
How did Dorothy make you smile?