Carmen T Lewis

Carmen T. Lewis 102 years 351 days, passed peacefully from this life on February 10, 2021 in Coppell, Texas. She was preceded in death by her loving, faithful husband, MSGT Brooks B. Lewis, United States Army Ret. of Albuquerque NM and Olton Texas. She was also preceded in death by her older sister, Isabelle Carrasco of Los Angeles, her older brother George Torres of Albuquerque, and younger sister Katherine Soto of Albuquerque. She is already deeply missed. She is survived by her daughter Peggy Lewis Taylor and her son-in-law Greg Taylor of Coppell TX. Other close family members include: sister Margret Gonzales of California, many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She will also be hugely missed by the precious caregivers at Nana’s Place in Coppell who became family. Grace and Maryann there are not enough words to describe how much you both meant to Carmen.

Carmen always had a loving heart, a passion for life, and an infectious laugh. She loved her family, her friends, and most of all her Heavenly Father. She always found joy in helping others. Her earthly exit is filled with much selfish sadness by those who will miss her but we can only imagine her joyous reunion with her beloved husband and so many other lifelong friends and family all now in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

Carmen lived a full life of love and assistance. She was born on February 24 when New Mexico was just barely a state and before the age of computers and databases that track such things so her exact year of birth might be somewhat suspicious, however that is a story for another time. Oh, and her name might not actually be Carmen but again a story for another day.

Carmen grew up in Albuquerque, NM and graduated from Albuquerque High School likely being the oldest student in her class, perhaps even older than some of her teachers. Again, a story for another day. After HS Carmen went to beautician school where she became an accomplished and much sought-after stylist. She spent many happy years working for the “Charles of Manhattan” salon in downtown Albuquerque. In the evenings, she would help her mother, Irene Torres who was the cook for the local YMCA. Carmen was raised a faithful Catholic and while working at the salon she felt a calling for service to the church as a nun. She soon began the process of application and seeking out an Order to join but became distracted upon meeting a cute soldier boy from west Texas.

Through her work preparing meals at the Y, she met a Church of Christ solder named Brooks, from Olton, Texas. He had recently returned from serving in WW2 and was staying at the Y while attending college. They became friends and soon started dating. They had lots of fun together and their courtship lasted several years. It seemed the choice of religion was a significant issue with their respective families and it took some time before Carmen made the choice to accept and obey the gospel. Although this did not initially sit well with her family, it was short lived. Carmen and Brooks eventually eloped to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Upon their return to Albuquerque, Brooks was welcomed into the Torres family as a son.

Carmen and Brooks originally attended 5th& Marble Church of Christ in Albuquerque. In the early 1960s Carmen, Brooks and Peggy began attending San Pedro Church of Christ which later became Montgomery Church of Christ. Carmen attended the Montgomery church until she moved to Coppell to live with her daughter and son-in-law where she worshiped at Riverside Church of Christ in Coppell, Texas.

Those who knew Carmen, knew she loved to cook and entertain. Carmen and Brooks hosted many festive holiday church gatherings and parties at their home. Carmen especially enjoyed cooking for large groups. New Year’s Eve Posole and Carne Adovada dinners were a favorite and then magically card tables appeared throughout the house and games of 42 were played until midnight.

Burial will be at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe New Mexico at a future date.

Maria Carmelita, we love you and miss you, save a spot for us, it might be a little while but we’ll be there, in the meantime enjoy the view!

Carmen held a special love and passion for supporting the important Christian based mission work at Reach Out Honduras. The ROH school is located in the extremely remote La Mosquitia region of Honduras and provides daily Educational, Spiritual, and Nutritional support for over 500 children who for various social reasons do not qualify to attend public school. Believing a solid nutritional foundation is a critical component to successful learning, ROH prepares and serves over 1,000 meals per day to their students and small staff without charge.

If you are interested in helping support the mission program at ROH, a Tax-deductible donation in memory of Carmen can be made at: https://reachouthonduras.org/