Marian Joan “Jody” Lewis (94) of Tempe, Ariz. and Vining, passed away quietly on the morning of February 29, 2024 in her home in Tempe. She was born in DesMoines, Iowa on December 21, 1929, the only child of Wherley Frank Lutz and Veva F. Lutz. She grew up in the Highland Park area of Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from North High School. In the late 1940s she met and fell in love with Bill Lewis, one of her father’s grocery store employees, and they were married in February 1949 and soon after relocated to Tempe, Ariz.

Jody, as she was affectionately known, quickly mastered the skills of being a professional homemaker, raising four sons and her husband Bill. Her son Steven was born in 1950, Robert in 1953, Donald in 1958, and Douglas in 1962. In spite of the preponderance of testosterone in the Lewis household, she managed to keep her robust sense of humor, became and outstanding cook, and maintained her dignity and beauty throughout her life.

Although she lived most of her life in Arizona, her favorite home away from home was at the family’s summer cabin at East Battle Lake where she vacationed almost every summer beginning in the mid-1930s. She made many friends there over the decades and thoroughly enjoyed Minnesota’s flora, fauna, and fish.

Jody was preceded in death by her husband Bill and son Donald and will be lovingly remembered by those she left behind: her sons Steven (Helen), Robert and Douglas (Coleen), and all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. A private family memorial is pending. Memorial donations in memory of Jody may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014.