Zannette Eloise LEWIS

LEWIS, Zannette Eloise, age 63 years, of Hamden, Connecticut, departed this life on September 25, 2009. Zannette was born July 19, 1946 in Richmond, Virginia, to her loving parents, Gladys Elizabeth Lewis of Richmond, Virginia, and the late Otto Ellis Lewis. She is survived by her mother, her loving son; and granddaughters, Tchad Jemahl Moore and Sofiya Jess Z'Oya Moore of Silver Spring, Maryland; as well as her brother, Otto Ellis Lewis Jr. of Silver Spring; and her sister, Sandra Elizabeth Lewis of Los Angeles. "Z", as she was known by many in the community, was an active member of many organizations, to which she willingly gave her talents, her strength, and her life. Some of the organizations that benefited most from her service include the New Haven Chapter of Links, Inc., the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the New Haven Historical Society, the National Council of Negro Women, the Astrological Society of Connecticut, and the Yale University Peabody Museum. Z worked at the Connecticut State Department of Higher Education as the New Haven Coordinator of the GEAR UP Project. As Coordinator, she helped increase the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. Zannette has been a source of wisdom and a force of goodness for the many communities she has willingly served over the years of her too-short life. She will leave a lasting impression for many years to come. Her remains rest at the W.S. Watkins & Son Funeral Home, 2700 North Ave., where the family will receive friends at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 1. Memorial services will be conducted at St. Phillips Episcopal Church on Friday October 2 at 11 a.m.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.