Obituary: Janice C. Lewis, Chemistry Teacher at Wellesley College

Obituary from Browne Memorial Funeral Chapel:

Janice Cunliffe Lewis, 88, passed away Nov. 10, 2013 in Longmeadow, after a long illness.

She was married to Richard Lewis.

Born March 10th 1925, Jan grew up in Springfield. She attended Forest Park School and Classical High School. She received both her Undergraduate and Master’s degree in chemistry from Mount Holyoke College and was very active in Mount Holyoke alumni activities.

Both Jan and Richards’s families were entrepreneurs, Jan’s father owning Cunliffe Jewelers and Rich’s Dad owning Valley Press, both located in downtown Springfield. Jan's first job upon graduation from Mount Holyoke was teaching chemistry at Wellesley College. She later continued her career teaching both math and chemistry at Hamden Hall Country Day School and St. Thomas' Day School in New Haven, Conn. She was known for her warm, loving teaching style and there was often a card table set up in the house for tutoring the neighborhood children in trigonometry or calculus.

She was a formidable bridge opponent, but not so threatening on the golf course despite her amazing hole-in-one at Woodbound Inn in Jafftrey, N.H. where the family spent many summer vacations. Living for many years in Hamden, Conn., they were lifelong members of the High Lane Club and attended Spring Glen Congregational Church. As they aged, they moved first to Pilgrims Harbor and then to Ashlar Village in Wallingford joining many of their friends from Hamden. In her last years, she was surrounded by loving caretakers at the Jewish Nursing Home in Longmeadow.

She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Lewis King of Somers, Conn; and her two grandchildren, David Lewis King and Emily Elisabeth King. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Aborn Lewis and her cousin Bette Rhodes.

There will be a private family gathering in celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to send remembrances to Mount Holyoke College Office of Advancement 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075 in memory of Janice C. Lewis so that a tree may be dedicated in her honor at her beloved alma mater.