Funeral Homily_Rita Lewis

Rita Lewis funeral homily December 9, 2019 Rita Lewis was a force to be reckoned with. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, and she loved fiercely. She was someone who you would want on your side, because she was tenacious. Her sister Liz called her “the little bulldog” because she would not rest until things were taken care of. And in Rita’s petite 5 foot 1 inch frame dwelled the heart of a lion. She was courageous, undaunted by life’s circumstances. When her husband died, Rita was only 49 years old, and her children were college age. Wes and Brooke remember that time as being remarkable because their mother didn’t just keep things going; she helped them thrive in a very difficult time in all their lives. Rita also survived a kidney transplant here in recent years, and she not only recovered from that but was very intentional in how she took care of herself, so that she also thrived after that challenge. Rita had a diverse career. (She liked to remind her family that she was voted best all-around in her high school.) She was a music teacher, a “real estate agent in 3 states,” and a small business owner, having owned Lauren’s Hallmark Shop here in Savannah for many years. One of my favorite stories about Rita is of the time when she was at the shop, and she discovered a man stealing. When he ran out into the mall with the stolen item, Rita chased him all the way onto the CAT bus where she retrieved the item and returned it to the store. Rita was also incredibly thoughtful, empathetic, and kind. When her brother in law, Rusty, was activated in Desert Storm, Rita sent him a box of blank holiday cards for him and his colleagues so they could send them home to their wives and families for holidays. I knew Rita best through her work on the pastoral care team here at the church. We most often communicate via email, and just before Thanksgiving, Rita emailed the group to let us know that she had sent Thanksgiving cards to many of our church members on the prayer list. Rita was deeply faithful. She and Bud had a strong marriage that has served as an example for their children and given them something to aspire to. She was a long-time member of a regular bible study, and a long-time member of this church; and she believed firmly in the power of prayer. She would pray for people, and then she would follow up and ask for updates on them, so she could continue to pray for them in ways that they needed. Rita’s death was sudden and shocking, and such a large presence in the lives of those of us who loved her will be deeply missed. She died doing what she loved: Christmas shopping for people that she loved. And we hold fast to our faith that in her death, Rita was lifted up in the arms of Jesus, who was her “friend and not a stranger,” and that he has taken her to his heavenly dwelling place, where he has prepared a place for her. And so we grieve her loss here in this life with us, but we do not sorrow as those without hope. We gather today to remember the hope of our faith: that death is not the end, but a change; that through Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, God has proven once and for all that God’s love is stronger than absolutely anything-even death. We’ll see Rita again, and together we will all feast again at God’s table and dance together in God’s heavenly kingdom. We give thanks for Rita: for her courage and for her kindness. And we’ll all live a little bit more kindly and a little bit more bravely for having known her.