Mary Lou Lewis

Mary Lou Lewis

July 15, 1936 - April 14, 2024

OSHKOSH - Mary Louise Lewis, age 87, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, passed away on Sunday morning, April 14th, 2024 at Evergreen Assisted Living Care in Oshkosh from complications of heart issues.

Known to family and friends as Mary Lou, she was born in Oshkosh on July 15, 1936, the oldest of three children of Norman and Irene (Luebke) Blanchette. She grew up in Oshkosh and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1954. Afterward, she attended college at Wisconsin State College-Oshkosh, as it was known then.

She was employed at Miles Kimball, then the telephone company, and then returned to Miles Kimball!

Mary Lou married Oshkosh native and future junior and high school teacher Richard R. Lewis on January 14, 1959, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; and they spent a year in Germany while he was in the U.S. Army. After returning to Oshkosh, she worked at Christensen's Lingerie.

In 1962, she became associated with the Miss America Organization at the local level. She produced and directed the Miss Oshkosh pageant for six years. Mary Lou went to the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the first time in 1965 with that year's Miss Wisconsin, Sharon Mae Singstock of Oshkosh, who placed as fourth runner-up, as well as in 1972 when Terry Anne Meeuwsen of DePere was crowned Miss America of 1973.

She continued her association with Miss America for over 50 years, including judging at many other state pageants. She was honored on stage at the national pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada for her volunteer service in January 2012, when, coincidentally, our second Miss Wisconsin, Laura Marie Kaeppeler of Kenosha, was crowned Miss America. After the pageant moved back to Atlantic City, she attended for two more years, in 2013 and 2014.

In later years, Mary Lou was one of the state pageant's gold-level scholarship donors and was responsible for the tickets for the Miss Wisconsin competition shows held at Oshkosh West High School each June for many, many years. She was also in charge of the ushers for the Miss Wisconsin shows.

Another interest was the Oshkosh-based Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) B-17 tours, which her husband, Richard, travelled with for many years, as well as frequently volunteering with the B-17 during EAA AirVenture.

More recently, she had been a supporter of The Grand Theatre, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was a member of the '54 Club, EAA, and The Grand.

Mary Lou is survived by her younger brother, Ralph (Elaine) of Madison, Wis.; Ralph's children, Thaddeus (Ana) Blanchette of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Vanessa, Vanessa's daughter, Janie Rose; Christen Stumpner, Christen's children, Rose, Keegan, and Stuart.

Additionally, she is survived by a sister-in-law, Jackie Gutsmiedl, Jackie's children, Gloria, Mark, and Bruce; and the children of Richard's sister, Sally Frank, Michael Frank and Stacey Gautsch. Mary Lou is also survived by other nieces and nephews, cousins, many friends (especially Sylvia Karow, Deb McHugh, John McHugh, Janine McHugh, Sandra Butcher, and anyone else we haven't named); and many pageant "daughters".

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Richard, on May 29, 2014, after 55 years of marriage; her parents, Norman "Beado" A. Blanchette (May 3, 1968) and Irene Louise Luebke Blanchette (January 16, 2001); as well as her younger sister, Annette Blanchette (February 12, 2015), and a sister-in-law, Sally (Tom) Frank; and also her father and mother-in-law Robert and Norma (Leaman) Lewis.

Visitation for family and friends was held at St. Peter's Catholic Church at 449 High Avenue in Oshkosh, Wis., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. with a service of remembrance beginning at 11:00 a.m. with Father Jerry Pastors officiating. Interment was at Lake View Memorial Park Cemetery, 2786 Algoma Boulevard, in Oshkosh.

Fiss & Bills-Poklasny Funeral Home in Oshkosh ably served the family. In lieu of flowers a memorial will be established for The Grand Theatre in Oshkosh.