Ruth A. Lewis

LEWIS RUTH ANN LEWIS Ruth Ann Lewis of Oakton, VA, died on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at Fairfax Hospital. Loving wife of 53 years to CAPT. John C. Lewis, USN (Ret.); beloved mother of Cheri A. Lewis and Suzy L. (Paul B.) Yoder; sister of Betty Grover, Gene Nicolls and Don (Beverly) Nicolls and sister-in-law to Mary Nicolls. She will always be cherished by her loving grandchildren, Allison B. and P.J. Yoder. Ruth Ann (Nicolls) Lewis was born in her parents' home in Poland, Ohio on Thanksgiving Day in 1928. She was the youngest of six children of Carl and Ethel Nicolls. After graduating from Poland Seminary High School, she worked briefly for Ohio Edison but soon moved to Washington, DC where her namesake relative, Aunt Ruth and her husband Howard Blair lived. She worked as a secretary at Ben Franklin University, which later became part of George Washington University, and then at several law firms as a legal secretary. In 1957, she was set up on a blind date with then Lieutenant John Lewis, who was serving as a military aide in the White House of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. For John, it was love at first sight, and her life as a Navy wife started when they were married in July of 1958 in the Navy Chapel in Washington, DC. Ruth Ann and John lived in Palo Alto, California where daughter Cheri was born, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in Vallejo, California where daughter Suzy was born, in Newport, Rhode Island, Sasebo, Japan, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where Ruth Ann started her successful career as a realtor. After John retired from the Navy, in 1976, the Lewises moved to Oakton, Virginia, where Ruth Ann continued her real estate career. Ruth Ann retired from real estate in the mid- 1980's to enjoy her daily crossword puzzles, bingo nights, trips to Atlantic City, the extended Nicolls family, and her grandchildren, Allison and PJ. A Funeral Service will be held at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel on Wednesday, May 16 at 3 p.m., with interment to follow in Arlington National Cemetery. The family requests donations be made in Ruth Ann's name to the American Cancer Society. Online condolences and fond memories may be offered to the family at: www.moneyandking.com www.moneyandking.com