Erika S. Lewis

Erika S Lewis (2/6/1928-5/6/2023)
Erika (Speidel) Lewis was born February 6, 1928, and educated in Germany. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1953 residing in Montclair, NJ and worked for Schering Corporation in Bloomfield. She became a U.S citizen in 1958 and married Chief Warrant Officer, James Leo Lewis in 1959 in Basel, Switzerland. They lived in Germany, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Mr. Lewis was killed in the line of duty in Korea in 1964. Erika moved to Verona in 1965 where she raised her three daughters. She was fiercely independent and sacrificed much for her daughters, all college graduates.
Erika obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montclair State College (now Montclair University) and worked for Synthetron and Solkatronic Corporation in Fairfield in exports. She retired in 1986. She continued to live in Verona, NJ until 2020 and for the last 3 years lived in Canaan, CT.
Erika is survived by her daughters: Carolyn Lewis and partner Luanne McChesney of Wood-Ridge NJ; Sharon and husband William X. Coll, MD of Litchfield, CT; Evelyn and husband Luther Hankins, Major, retired, US Army of Nashville, IL; six grandchildren, Evan Lewis and Ally Lewis of Wood-Ridge, NJ; William J. Coll and wife Natalie of Manassas, VA; Aidan Coll of Philadelphia, PA; Erika Hankins-Prantil and husband Mike Prantil of Verona, NJ; Robert Hankins of Daphne, AL; and several cousins in Germany.
Viewing is Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Paul Ippolito-Dancy Memorial in Caldwell followed by a 12:00 p.m. graveside service at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, N.J.
In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Erika may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Verona, 10 Fairview Ave. Verona, NJ 07044 or at https://www.veronapreschurch.org/give