Marilyn Hamilton Lewis

Marilyn Hamilton Lewis, 78, died Tuesday, September 03, 2013 in Amarillo.Services will be 4:00 PM Thursday, September 5, 2013, in Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel with Glen Walton, minister of Bell Avenue Church of Christ in Amarillo and Keith Feerer, minister of Mary Ellen and Harvester Church of Christ in Pampa, officiating. Burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.She was born April 23, 1935 in her grandparents? home in Young County Texas to Bowie B. and Gladys Hamilton. Her family moved to Skellytown in 1942. She attended school in Skellytown and White Deer, moving to Pampa in 1950 and graduated from Pampa High School in 1953. After graduation she was employed by Gordon, Gordon and Buzzard for 8 years, Dunigan Operating 17 years, and Sivalls, Inc. for 5 years. She retired from WBD Oil and Gas in 2001.She attended Clarendon College taking many classes in the business field.On January 6, 1953, she met the love of her life, James Howard Lewis, who had just returned from the Korean Conflict. They were married June 12, 1953 and spent many happy years raising their family in Pampa until his death on September 21, 2010. Their home was always open to all their children's friends who spent many hours in their home. While their family was growing up they spent a lot of time taking their children and their friends camping, water skiing, off trail motorcycling, fishing, and snow skiing. After retirement, she became active in working local, state and national elections. She was employed by the Gray County election administrator?s office for several years.Her family was very important to her. She loved watching her grandchildren play sports and followed each of them in whatever sport they were playing especially volleyball, basketball, golf, rodeo and football. She traveled to the east coast and west coast watching her granddaughters play basketball and golf and participate in choir concerts.She played volleyball during her years in Pampa High School and after graduation, she played with a traveling volleyball team that her husband sponsored playing tournaments around the panhandle for many years. They won all but one tournament.She was a past president of Pampa Desk and Derrick Club and member of the board of directors of Lake McClellan improvement and active in several clubs. She was a member of Mary Ellen & Harvester Church of Christ where she taught Sunday school for 7 years. She was also a member of Pampa Chapter #65 of the Eastern Star and a former member of Republican Women's club, serving as President and secretary several times. She was a troop leader for Brownie and Girl Scouts for several years. She was preceded in death by her parents and infant brother: Melvin Buford and sister: Katherine Adele.Survivors include her children, Howard and wife Michelle of West Des Moines, Iowa, Debbie and husband Paul of Plainview, Texas and William J. (Bill) Lewis of Pampa. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tiffany and Brad of Simpsonville, SC, Brittyne and Dan of Austin, Rachel and Jonathon of Fort Worth, Erika and David of Peoria, AZ, Haley of Lubbock, Ryan and Amber, Erick and Lisa all of Pampa; great grandchildren include Kinsler, Kolfax and Kennedy of Simpsonville, SC and Courtney and Braden of Pampa; foster daughter, April Walkup of Huntington, PA; special friends, Tawny Lewis of Amarillo and Dana Lewis of Pampa; brother-in-law, Harold and wife Charlotte Lewis of Pampa; sister-in-law, Billie Schulz of Wasilla, Alaska; nieces and nephews, Howie, Dean, Annette, Andrea, Jerome, William and Pamela and several great nieces and nephews from Alaska.The family request memorials to be made to the American Heart Association National Center, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, Texas 75231, or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 310,White Plains, NY 10605.