Obituary: Della Lewis

After earning an Associate’s degree in travel and recreation management, Della worked a season at El Tovar Hotel in the Grand Canyon and then moved back to Grand Junction to take a position at the Holiday Inn. It was there that she met and fell in love with Dale Lewis.

They were married a short time later in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. They lived briefly in Yellowstone National Park, then made Denver, Colorado, their home. During that time, their sons Keith and Brian were born, and they traveled during the summers to different jobs that Dale was working for the Federal Highways Administration. 

From 1976-1990, the family lived all over the country from Joplin, Missouri, to Pierce, Idaho, where their daughters René and Cindy were born; Hungry Horse, Montana; Saratoga, Wyoming; and Ketchikan, Alaska. No matter where God planted (and transplanted) the Lewis family, whether for a year or six, Della continued working to raise her family and faithfully serve in the various churches the family attended. While in Alaska, she began a certified in-home daycare.

In 1990, the family moved to the Hood River Valley in Oregon. For the next 13 years, as their kids grew, graduated and left home, Della continued her in-home daycare business and stayed actively involved in Children’s Ministry at Hood River Alliance Church, eventually becoming director of Children’s Ministry.

In 2003, Dale and Della had an opportunity to move back to Alaska, a place they loved deeply. This time, they went to Juneau, where Della worked as the assistant director of a childcare center and served in their community church.

Shortly before the birth of their first grandchild in 2009, they relocated to Vancouver to be closer to family. Over the next 16 years, the number of grandchildren grew to 10, ranging in age from 24 years old to 7 weeks old. Della loved being “Abuelita” to all her grandkids. She and Dale found a church home at Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver and were deeply loved by their church family.

Della served in both children’s and women’s ministries and was a member of the Prayer Team. As part of her commitment to women’s ministry, Della also led small group Bible studies and mentored many women in the process. The rest of her time in Vancouver was spent loving on her growing grandchildren and working with Cindy, their youngest daughter, at Las Manitas Bilingual Preschool in Woodburn, Oregon. Throughout their time in Vancouver, Dale and Della took several trips together back to Alaska, as well as adventures all over the country.

Della is survived by her beloved husband of 53 years, Dale; son Keith, son Brian and wife Marnee; daughter René and wife Dawn; daughter Cindy and husband Jeremy; grandchildren Emily, Elijah, Desarae, Caleb, Anna, Silas, Joshua, Levi, Abby and Jonathan; and step-grandchildren Ian, Ella, Fiona, and Anwyn.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on May 31 at Crossroads Community Church, located at 7708 NE 78^th Street in Vancouver.