BETTY JEAN "B.J." BALES LEWIS
Died April 22, 2016
B.J. Lewis of Durham died peacefully Friday evening, April 22, 2016. She was 91.
She was the daughter of the late Alton and Minnie Bales and sister of the late Bernard Bales and sister-in-law of the late Janet Bales.
B.J. lived with a form of dementia during her last years.
She was a graduate of then WC-UNC, now UNC-G.
Over the course of her life, she ran a commercial printing department, designed needlework, ran a needlework store called The Flying Needle, worked for a needlework company, held an administrative assistant position at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church and worked for the United Methodist Conference as an administrative assistant to various conference leaders.
At one point she served at Red Bird Mission in Kentucky coal country.
She was talented, honest, funny, creative and hard working.
B.J. is survived by her four children, Ben Lewis (Deborah Brewer), Jean Lewis, Susan Southern (H. Gray Southern) and Timothy Lewis (Kim Lewis). Five grandchildren are part of her legacy, George Lewis, Jessica Lewis, Kirk Southern, Mary-Gray Southern and Preston Lewis.
A memorial service will be held May 5, 2016, at 3 p.m. at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church. The family will greet friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Red Bird Missionary Conference, 54 Queendale Center, Beverly, Ky., 40913-9607.
The Lewis family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences can be sent to www.hallwynne.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on May 3, 2016 1:51 PM