Shirley M. Lewis

Shirley M. Lewis passed away peacefully on January 13, 2024. Shirley was born in Jacksonville, Illinois to John R. Smith, Sr. and Estella M. Smith on January 15, 1933. She married Donald L. Lewis on October 7, 1951. They had two children: Lucinda (Robbie Cannon) of Summerville, South Carolina, and Scott (Patty) Lewis of Keller, Texas, and two granddaughters, Megan Lewis and Annie Lewis.

Shirley graduated third in her class from Jacksonville High School where she was a baton twirling member of the marching band and a cheerleader. She enjoyed a career as bookkeeper for the local Howard Johnson’s restaurant and later in banking positions. She also managed the family real estate including farmland and multiple residential rental properties.

Her children were the center of her life and she was Girl Scout leader, den mother, homeroom mom, PTA officer and planner of parties and celebrations. She sewed costumes for dance recitals and hauled motorcycles for Sunday races. If you wanted something, she made it happen! She was an avid bridge player and a golfer with two hole-in-one shots at Jacksonville Country Club. In her later years, she switched from bridge to poker and competed fiercely at Texas Hold ‘Em.

Shirley grew up in the Portuguese Northminster Presbyterian Church and later traveled to her ancestral homeland, the island of Madeira.

She and Don moved to Texas in 2003 to be near their children. In Texas, she added to her previous handicraft hobbies and devoted herself to knitting blankets for Project Linus. She made hundreds of blankets for children in the U.S. who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need. And she laced up her trusty Keds sneakers and worked out at her local community fitness center until well into her 90th year.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband, her parents, her brother, John, Jr. and her sister, Donna Robinson. A private burial will be held at a later date. Messages of condolence may be left at legacy.com with memorials at projectlinus.org