Phoebe Reese Lewis of Milwaukee, Wis. died on Jan. 26 at St. John’s on the Lake in Milwaukee. She was 94.
Born on August 6, 1929 to Everett David Reese and Martha Grace (Gay) Reese in Newark, Ohio, Phoebe lived in Milwaukee, spent winters in Tucson, Ariz. and summers on Martha’s Vineyard.
Phoebe was preceded in death by her loving husband of 65 years John Dowley (Jack) Lewis.
She is survived by five children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; Lloyd Lewis Eagan and her husband Patrick of Madison, Wisc. and their sons Gavin and Brendan and Brendan’s wife Kinnic Eagan and their children, Aidan, Juniper and Linh Eagan; Thekla Lewis and John Metz of Evanston, Ill. and their daughters, Phoebe and Miranda Metz, Meredith Lewis and her husband Tom Degen of Madison, Wisc. and their children, George Degen, Thekla Min and her wife Rina, and Eleanor and Henry Degen; her son Graham and his wife Elizabeth Powell Lewis of Martha’s Vineyard and Chicago, Ill. and their sons Brynn and Rhys Lewis; and her son Bradley Lewis and his wife Kristen of Belmont and their children, Everett and Lynn Lewis.
She was predeceased by her brother John Gilbert Reese. She is survived by sister in law Louella Reese, her sister Thekla Shackelford and her husband Don, her brother David Reese and his wife Louise, and by other relatives and many friends.
Phoebe attended The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pa. for secondary school and Smith College, from which she graduated in 1951 with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature.
She married John Dowley (Jack) Lewis on Nov. 25, 1950 in Newark, Ohio. Their wedding day coincided with the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950, an event still on record as the worst snowstorm ever in the Ohio River Valley. This made Phoebe and Jack’s wedding a memorable one; wedding guests were stuck all over the place on their way to the wedding and the happy couple never got a honeymoon. Luckily, this dramatic start led to a long and happy marriage.
She and Jack spent summers on Harbor View in Vineyard Haven. Her mother in law, the late Gladys Lewis had been a longtime summer resident of East Chop.
Phoebe was active in many civic organizations in Milwaukee. While serving as a trustee of the Milwaukee Art Museum, she organized their first development committee and, with Jack, started a travel program for the Friends of Art. She served on the board of trustees at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Ten Chimneys and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center.
She was active in the local American Field Service (AFS) chapter and hosted two exchange students as well as two year-long international visitors. In each case, lasting friendships were established.
On Martha’s Vineyard, she served on the board of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. In Tucson, she volunteered for the Humanities Program where she also took classes.
She was an enthusiastic supporter of Smith College over the years. She joined the board of the alumnae association in 1978 and served as its president from 1983 to 1986. She co-directed the Smith College Travel Program from 1979 to 1983 and 1986 to 1989. She became a member of the board of trustees from 1983 to 1989 and chair of the trustees from 1989 to 1994. In 1996, Smith College honored her with the John M. Greene award for her years of service.
Phoebe was a lifelong learner. She had a passion for travel and had been all over the world. She worked as a travel agent for Odyssey International in Milwaukee and later for Smith College where she conducted more than 40 trips, visiting every continent but Antarctica.
A memorial service is planned for March 2 at 2 p.m. at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wis.
Memorial donations can be directed to any of the organizations she held dear.
