Barbara Rae Wootton Lewis

Barbara Rae Wootton Lewis, age 93, passed away on October 31, 2014.

Barbara Lewis was born with a big heart that only got bigger over the 93 years of her remarkable life. Her natural instincts were to care for not only those whom she loved but for virtually anyone and everyone who has ever crossed her path. Those she has cared for and about could populate a country.

Barbara was born on the top of a mountain on December 28th, 1920 in Smuggler, Colorado where her father worked as an electrician for the mines. Most of her growing up years were spent in Heber City, Utah. She shared her parents with her two sisters Evelyn and Madelyn. They were country girls, they were Wasatch Wasps, they were the heart\s desire of all the young men in Heber Valley.

She left Heber for the big city (Provo) to attend college (BYU). When World War II broke out her father, having no sons to take up the cause, urged Barbara into government service. She ended up in Washington D.C. working for the FBI as a secretary. Washington D.C. was most important to her, however, because it is there that she met Ben E. Lewis.

After a proper courtship, Ben and Barbara were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They returned to D.C. to begin their life together. Ben worked for the Marriott Corporation. Barbara soon became a mother. Their two oldest children, Linda and Stephen were born in the nation\s capital.

When Earnest Wilkinson, at the time a successful Washington D.C. attorney, was appointed President of Brigham Young University he asked Ben E. Lewis to go to Provo with him to serve in his administration. With Barbara\s support, Ben accepted and the Lewis\s became dyed-in-the-wool, true blue Cougars (which, actually, they already were).

After their return to Provo, Ben and Barbara had three more children, James, Mary Anne and John. In addition, they welcomed into their home two nephews and a niece, Lewis, Gregory and Louise Wilson, whose parents unfortunately both passed away while the children were still young. A big family became a bigger family. While Ben helped run the University, do extensive fund raising and serve as a Stake President, Barbara ran the Lewis home and she ran it with open door policy. Their own kids, their kids\ friends, relatives, acquaintances and complete strangers alike were fed, cared for and loved. It seemed Barbara\s goal was to feed the world. Most think she achieved that goal.

As the wife of a BYU administrator, Barbara Lewis traveled the world. When Ben finally retired, he and Barbara were called to preside over the London, England Mission of the LDS Church. London was the crossroads of Europe. In addition to caring for missionaries, Barbara entertained and cared for Church General Authorities, traveling family members and many other visitors of every shape, form and size.

Two of the loves of Barbara\s life, in addition to her family, were children\s literature and Christmas. Her library of children\s books is extensive. She took classes and gave lectures. All of her grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews have sizeable personal children\s literature collections containing books read to them and then given to them by Barbara.

The Lewis home at Christmas-time was Christmas itself. There were always trees, decorations, music, parties, gifts, and food galore. More importantly there was family, worship, reverence, holiness and the Savior. Barbara is Christmas, Christmas is Barbara. It still is and for her family, always will be.

Barbara is survived by her sister, Madelyn Larson (Don) Sammamish, Washington, five children, Linda Lewis, Stephen Lewis, James Lewis, Mary Anne Turner (Judd), Salt Lake City, Utah, and John Lewis (LaCinda), Gilbert ,Arizona. Also survived by niece, Louise Holdaway (Boyd), Provo, Utah, and nephews Lewis Wilson (Grace), Salt Lake City, Utah and Gregory Wilson (Kathy), Sandy, Utah who Ben and Barbara raised as their own children.

Funeral services will be held Friday, November 7, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in the Pleasant View 1st Ward Chapel, 650 East Stadium Avenue, Provo Utah. Friends may call Thursday evening, November 6, from 6-8 p.m. at this same Pleasant View First Ward Chapel; and also from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m prior to the services. Interment at the East Lawn Memorial Hills Cemetery.