Frances R. Lewis, 88
Frances R. Lewis passed away on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at home surrounded by her family. She was born on December 23, 1931 in High Point, N.C. to the late Ewell and Helen Ruddock. During her long life she would become better known as Fran, Momma, and Maw-Maw (Maw for short).
Fran grew up in North Carolina and graduated from New Bern High School. She was a talented basketball player who was part of the team who was hailed as the "pride of New Bern" which won many championship games. She married her high school sweetheart, Carlton, and they raised four children together. Fran was a proud Air Force wife and traveled the world with Carlton during his 24-year enlistment, eventually settling in Dover on the second tour to Delaware, in 1970.
Fran retired from AT&T when the Wilmington office closed. She had truly made lifelong friends during her 20-year career and kept in close contact with many of them throughout the rest of her life.
Fran was a generous person who loved to help others. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dover and donated to many charities and causes throughout her life. She had many hobbies which included basketball, square-dancing with her husband, bowling, puzzling, and bird watching. She loved to watch movies, game shows, and sports. She was Duke's number one fan and loved cheering them on.
Fran was known for her larger-than-life personality and infectious laugh. Family and friends will remember her stories and will miss her wisdom, wit, love, and zest for life. Though Fran is no longer with us, she will never be forgotten, and will be missed dearly by her family, friends, dog Gizmo, parrot Julio, and all the backyard squirrels and birds who she fed daily.
In addition to her parents; she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 63 years, Carlton P. Lewis, Sr.
She is survived by her four children, son, Carlton "Bud" P. Lewis, Jr. and his wife Shirley of Kinston, N.C.; daughters, Rebecca Hovious and her husband Michael of Fayetteville, N.C., Laurie Willer and her husband Ted of Clayton, N.C. and Ellen Waid and her husband Jeff of Dover, Del.; eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, Amie' Jones, her husband Chris, and children Caroline and Perry, Michael Hovious, his wife Alia, and children Eliza, Levi, and Isaac, Julie Francis and children Gavin and Morgan, Amanda McAtee, her husband Josh, and daughter Annabel, Megan Waid, her husband Greg, and fur babies Bailey, Bomber, and Colt, David Hovious, his wife Candice, and children David Jr. and Ava, Jenny Howell, her husband Steven, and children Jakob, Zoey, and Wyatt, and Carla Hasse, her husband Greg, and children Landon and Cambria; and close lifelong friends, June Honeycutt, Teresa Durant and her children Marcus and Andy, and Carol Wills and her children, Michael, Katie, and Samantha.
The family will hold a virtual funeral service via Facebook Live on Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 2 p.m., which will be accessible on the Torbert Funeral Chapel Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/torbertfuneralchapels. Friends and family may tune in 30 minutes early to view a memorial slide show. The service video will be available for replay after the live recording ends. Interment will be private and held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made in Fran's honor to the Philadelphia Zoo, www.philadelphiazoo.org/donate or Shriners Hospital for Children, www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org. Letters of condolence may be sent, and guestbook signed at www.torbertfuneral.com
Special thanks to Dr. Mann and the staff at Delaware Primary Care, Kim and Angela from the Delaware Hospice nursing staff, and Rachel Guidera.