Margaret Alexander Lewis

Margaret Alexander Lewis

Margaret Alexander Lewis died Aug. 10, 2014 at home in Palm Desert, Calif., of natural causes. She was born in Seattle, attended Lowell Grade School. She graduated Broadway High School in 1940 and the University of Washington in 1944. At the UW, she joined Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, was elected to Mortar Board and Totem Club honors societies and was active in W Key and the American Association of University Women. She married Bill Lewis in 1943. They moved to Lynden where Bill's father, Sol, published the weekly Lynden Tribune. Sol died in 1954 and Bill and his brother, Julian, became co-publishers. Margaret and Bill have three daughters, Marilyn, born in 1948, Barbara, in 1951, and Patti, in 1954. In 1988, after Bill retired, they moved to Bellingham, Washington, and spent winters in Palm Desert, California. They moved permanently to Palm Desert in 2010. Devoted Husky fans, the couple founded the annual Palm Desert UW Chow Down to Washington fundraiser, which began as an alumni picnic and grew into a three-day event. The UW alumni association honored Margaret this year at the event's 25th anniversary this year. Bill died at home in 2011, at 90. Margaret tried out assisted living but it wasn't for her. She was able, instead, to continue at living at home thanks to four extraordinary people who cared for her with heart and soul: Richard Scrima, Angie de la Torre and Rosa and Cesar Cordero. Survivors: daughters Marilyn Lewis, of Port Townsend, Barbara (Joe) Morrison, of Los Angeles and Patti (Neal) Lemlein, of Los Angeles; grandchildren Vasily Lewis, Seattle, Alexandra Lemlein, New York, Ryan Lemlein, Denver and Maggie Morrison, Los Angeles; step-grandchildren Pia Morrison Delphais, West Chester, Penn., Joe Morrison II, Los Angeles and Jonathan Morrison, West Chester, Penn.; sister, Grace Millman, Dune Acres, Indiana, and niece, Heidi Millman, Downers Grove, Illinois. A family burial service and celebration of life will be held in Bellingham. Please leave notes and memories at www.farewelltributes.com/obits. Donations in Margaret's memory may be made to a charity of your choice that benefits children.

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