Obituary

Jane Gragg Lewis, 76, of Laguna Niguel, California, unexpectedly passed away from natural causes on January 12th, 2023.

Jane was born on March 17, 1946, to Kenneth and Edna Gragg in Charlotte, North Carolina. She spent most of her childhood in Charlotte before moving her senior year to graduate from High Point High School in 1964. Jane went on to study at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro earning her bachelor’s degree in merchandising.

Jane married Charlie Lewis in June of 1968 and had two daughters Bryn (Briner) and Britta (Wahl). Throughout their marriage, they lived in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Laguna Niguel, spending the last 46 years together in Laguna Niguel.

Jane was a lifelong learner and pursued many different passions over the years. The majority of her time was spent raising and supporting her family, helping and teaching others, and caring for her beloved animals. She spent years working as a volunteer coordinator for the Fran Joswick Therapeutic Riding Center. Jane was an avid equestrian and treasured the years she spent with her horse, Frankie. She was also an English as a Second Language teacher where she made a tremendous impact on her students’ successes. She achieved a lifelong dream when she was able to spend the last year of her life volunteering numerous hours at the San Diego Zoo.

Jane was also a talented artist and author; little reminders of her artistic ability can be found throughout her home as well as in many gifts she has given throughout the years. As an author, Jane published two works in recent years: Dictation Riddles, an educational book she wrote to help ESL students fine-tune their skills, and A Jar Full of Fireflies, a memoir of her childhood growing up in the South. Because of her gift for writing, Jane was on both her kids’ and grandkid’s’ speed dial to answer difficult grammar questions.

In following her desire to always try new things, Jane had become an avid pickle ball enthusiast. In recent years, she had also taken up seaside bike rides with her husband, Charlie, and created amazing crafts from seashells and sea glass she had collected during her many walks along the California coast.

Throughout her time in California, she had a knack for finding hidden gems that she loved sharing with friends and family. As a mother, she instilled many amazing values in her daughters through the way she lived. She taught them integrity, to care for animals and others less fortunate than themselves, and to stand up for what is right. Her absence is deeply felt by her family, friends, and the many lives she touched.

Jane was preceded in death by her mother and father as well as her beloved rescue dog, Tipper. She is survived by her husband of 54 years Charlie; her sister Linda (Jim); her daughters Bryn (John) and Britta (Charlie); her grandchildren Rachael, Matthew, Reese, Jackson, Andrew, Josh, Emerson, and Zachary; her nephews Hamp, Pearce, Rob, Tripp; and her nieces Leslie and Ashley.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the San Diego Zoo in her honor to www.sdzwa.org/memorial.