Joan Lewis

1929 - 2016

1929 ~ 2016
Our beautiful mother and grandmother "stepped into her new life" on July 19, 2016. Her grace, elegance, intelligence and absolute delight in anyone who was lucky enough to know her, will be sorely missed.
Joan was born October 20, 1929, to Elliott and Eleanor Mitchell Tuttle, in Richfield, Utah. She attended BYU from kindergarten through college and played a mean game of bridge with her grade school friends well into her eighties. After college, she was swept off her feet by a handsome Naval officer, S. Rex Lewis, whom she married in 1950. The two of them were married over 60 years. Rex was the love of her life and vice versa.
Joan started her married life as a third grade teacher. The school was overcrowded and her first classroom as a teacher was held in a hallway. Always the optimist, she looked at it as a great adventure.
A lover of all things beautiful, Joan had an amazing sense of style. She worked in the design business as she raised her three young children. Her homes were always elegant and welcoming.
An avid reader, Joan always had her nose in a book. She spent many hours with her children at the Provo library. Her entire life, books gave her great joy. She read many of her favorites over and over, considering them old friends.
While she spent most of her life in the Provo area, she loved to travel. She and Rex travelled to countries in all parts of the globe. Every culture, its people, architecture, art, customs, food and countryside were fascinating to her.
Art was a big part of Joan's life. She was an avid collector and loved nothing more than walking through galleries, studying paintings, meeting artists, reading art books and trying her hand at painting.
The outdoors always called to Joan. The mountains, the beach, the desert - she loved them all. The family spent many fun times hiking, camping, skiing, boating and fishing. She taught us all to always appreciate a beautiful sunset, the light in the fall, the first crocus of spring peeking out of the melting snow. When the kids were grown, she and Rex spent many a weekend "roughing it" in the camper, hiking the countryside scouting for Rex's next hunting trip.
Joan was always beautifully dressed and had the uncanny ability to look like a million dollars in a sweat suit. The sparking jewelry and movie star glasses might have helped. She was such an elegant woman, in her stylish clothes, the lovely way she carried herself, and her general demeanor.
Tremendously coordinated, Joan was a great athlete. She loved being a ski instructor at Sundance. She was a good golfer and enjoyed lots of fun times with the ladies at Riverside. She also redecorated the ladies' locker room as long as she was at it. She won golf tournaments not only locally, but as far away as Hilton Head and Mauna Kea, Hawaii. She also was a fantastic bowler and had several near-300 point games, both with the ladies league and the couples league as well.
Perhaps her best attribute was the ability to make anyone she was speaking to feel absolutely special. She was truly interested in that person and wanted to learn all about them. She really cared; anyone who has known her will understand that to be true.
Nothing made her beautiful brown eyes sparkle more than her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved spending time with them and hearing about everything they were doing or even thinking about doing. Her counsel was always well taken.
Survived by three children: Sterling (Nikki), Alison (Craig) Krumwiede, Liz (Gifford) Hickey; nine grandchildren and eight darling great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Will and her dear husband, Rex.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 31, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. at the Riverside Country Club, 2701 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.
As a tribute to Joan's life, the family requests you read a good book, find delight in a beautiful painting or sip a nice glass of wine with friends. We will miss her dearly.