Martha Briscoe (Sissie) Lewis was born May 5, 1949, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the second of what would be four siblings. She grew up with an older brother Sam, and younger brother Robert and his twin sister Nancy.
She was the daughter of Samuel Payne Lewis and Vivian Nell Pierce. On her father's side, she was the granddaughter of Mack Colon Lewis and Blanch Verna McGowan, and on her mother's side, Vivian O'dell Pierce and Ira Lee "Babby" Stone.
The family moved to Burgaw where her father Sam worked at the pharmacy. Sissie graduated from Burgaw High School, where she enjoyed playing on the women's basketball team. One summer, she worked as a lifeguard at a local pool. After high school, she went off to college in Greenville and graduated from East Carolina University with a major in psychology.
She started work as a social worker in Richmond, Virginia. After doing that for a few years, she took off to Florida for a year with two girlfriends and got a job as a waitress just for the experience. When the year was up, she returned to Virginia and began what would be her career as a budget analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) in downtown Washington, DC. She remained at VA until her retirement. During those years, she lived in Park Fairfax, a renovated 1940s condominium community in Alexandria, Virginia.
When she retired, she sold her Park Fairfax condo and moved home to North Carolina, settling in Winterville, where she bought a home.
Martha had a zest for life. She was a photography buff and loved fishing, golfing, swimming, sailing, travel, her timeshare in the Bahamas, and life in general. She sought out new experiences and would try anything once. She had an infectious childlike enthusiam for everything she did. She was genuine, unaware of pretense, a loyal and devoted friend to many.
She put up a tenacious and courageous five year fight against lung cancer, finally losing that battle and dying at the age of 57 on December 21, 2006. Her services were held on December 30, 2006 at the Burgaw Presbyterian Church. She was survived by her sister, Nancy Edmonson and husband, Don, of Greenville; brother Sam Lewis Jr. and wife, Cynthia, of Longwood, Florida; brother Robert Lewis and wife, Linda, of Wilmington; niece and nephew Maresa Dunkel and T.J. Lewis, both of Florida; nieces Lauren Edmonson and Leigh Edmonson, both of Greenville; and 3 great-niece/nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and grandparents.
She was the daughter of Samuel Payne Lewis and Vivian Nell Pierce. On her father's side, she was the granddaughter of Mack Colon Lewis and Blanch Verna McGowan, and on her mother's side, Vivian O'dell Pierce and Ira Lee "Babby" Stone.
The family moved to Burgaw where her father Sam worked at the pharmacy. Sissie graduated from Burgaw High School, where she enjoyed playing on the women's basketball team. One summer, she worked as a lifeguard at a local pool. After high school, she went off to college in Greenville and graduated from East Carolina University with a major in psychology.
She started work as a social worker in Richmond, Virginia. After doing that for a few years, she took off to Florida for a year with two girlfriends and got a job as a waitress just for the experience. When the year was up, she returned to Virginia and began what would be her career as a budget analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) in downtown Washington, DC. She remained at VA until her retirement. During those years, she lived in Park Fairfax, a renovated 1940s condominium community in Alexandria, Virginia.
When she retired, she sold her Park Fairfax condo and moved home to North Carolina, settling in Winterville, where she bought a home.
Martha had a zest for life. She was a photography buff and loved fishing, golfing, swimming, sailing, travel, her timeshare in the Bahamas, and life in general. She sought out new experiences and would try anything once. She had an infectious childlike enthusiam for everything she did. She was genuine, unaware of pretense, a loyal and devoted friend to many.
She put up a tenacious and courageous five year fight against lung cancer, finally losing that battle and dying at the age of 57 on December 21, 2006. Her services were held on December 30, 2006 at the Burgaw Presbyterian Church. She was survived by her sister, Nancy Edmonson and husband, Don, of Greenville; brother Sam Lewis Jr. and wife, Cynthia, of Longwood, Florida; brother Robert Lewis and wife, Linda, of Wilmington; niece and nephew Maresa Dunkel and T.J. Lewis, both of Florida; nieces Lauren Edmonson and Leigh Edmonson, both of Greenville; and 3 great-niece/nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and grandparents.
Martha Briscoe (Sissie) Lewis was born May 5, 1949, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the second of what would be four siblings. She grew up with an older brother Sam, and younger brother Robert and his twin sister Nancy.
She was the daughter of Samuel Payne Lewis and Vivian Nell Pierce. On her father's side, she was the granddaughter of Mack Colon Lewis and Blanch Verna McGowan, and on her mother's side, Vivian O'dell Pierce and Ira Lee "Babby" Stone.
The family moved to Burgaw where her father Sam worked at the pharmacy. Sissie graduated from Burgaw High School, where she enjoyed playing on the women's basketball team. One summer, she worked as a lifeguard at a local pool. After high school, she went off to college in Greenville and graduated from East Carolina University with a major in psychology.
She started work as a social worker in Richmond, Virginia. After doing that for a few years, she took off to Florida for a year with two girlfriends and got a job as a waitress just for the experience. When the year was up, she returned to Virginia and began what would be her career as a budget analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) in downtown Washington, DC. She remained at VA until her retirement. During those years, she lived in Park Fairfax, a renovated 1940s condominium community in Alexandria, Virginia.
When she retired, she sold her Park Fairfax condo and moved home to North Carolina, settling in Winterville, where she bought a home.
Martha had a zest for life. She was a photography buff and loved fishing, golfing, swimming, sailing, travel, her timeshare in the Bahamas, and life in general. She sought out new experiences and would try anything once. She had an infectious childlike enthusiam for everything she did. She was genuine, unaware of pretense, a loyal and devoted friend to many.
She put up a tenacious and courageous five year fight against lung cancer, finally losing that battle and dying at the age of 57 on December 21, 2006. Her services were held on December 30, 2006 at the Burgaw Presbyterian Church. She was survived by her sister, Nancy Edmonson and husband, Don, of Greenville; brother Sam Lewis Jr. and wife, Cynthia, of Longwood, Florida; brother Robert Lewis and wife, Linda, of Wilmington; niece and nephew Maresa Dunkel and T.J. Lewis, both of Florida; nieces Lauren Edmonson and Leigh Edmonson, both of Greenville; and 3 great-niece/nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and grandparents.
She was the daughter of Samuel Payne Lewis and Vivian Nell Pierce. On her father's side, she was the granddaughter of Mack Colon Lewis and Blanch Verna McGowan, and on her mother's side, Vivian O'dell Pierce and Ira Lee "Babby" Stone.
The family moved to Burgaw where her father Sam worked at the pharmacy. Sissie graduated from Burgaw High School, where she enjoyed playing on the women's basketball team. One summer, she worked as a lifeguard at a local pool. After high school, she went off to college in Greenville and graduated from East Carolina University with a major in psychology.
She started work as a social worker in Richmond, Virginia. After doing that for a few years, she took off to Florida for a year with two girlfriends and got a job as a waitress just for the experience. When the year was up, she returned to Virginia and began what would be her career as a budget analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) in downtown Washington, DC. She remained at VA until her retirement. During those years, she lived in Park Fairfax, a renovated 1940s condominium community in Alexandria, Virginia.
When she retired, she sold her Park Fairfax condo and moved home to North Carolina, settling in Winterville, where she bought a home.
Martha had a zest for life. She was a photography buff and loved fishing, golfing, swimming, sailing, travel, her timeshare in the Bahamas, and life in general. She sought out new experiences and would try anything once. She had an infectious childlike enthusiam for everything she did. She was genuine, unaware of pretense, a loyal and devoted friend to many.
She put up a tenacious and courageous five year fight against lung cancer, finally losing that battle and dying at the age of 57 on December 21, 2006. Her services were held on December 30, 2006 at the Burgaw Presbyterian Church. She was survived by her sister, Nancy Edmonson and husband, Don, of Greenville; brother Sam Lewis Jr. and wife, Cynthia, of Longwood, Florida; brother Robert Lewis and wife, Linda, of Wilmington; niece and nephew Maresa Dunkel and T.J. Lewis, both of Florida; nieces Lauren Edmonson and Leigh Edmonson, both of Greenville; and 3 great-niece/nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and grandparents.
