Maurice Hansborough Lewis, the youngest child of Phillip Luther Lewis and Rose Hansborough Lewis’ six children, was born in Washington DC on May 31, 1932. Maurice grew up in the Foggy Bottom section of Washington, DC. In the early 1900’s, Foggy Bottom, a historic area of northwest DC, was the home to African Americans and to European immigrants. The neighborhood was integrated, but the two groups did not socialize with each other. DC public schools were segregated and, consequently, the children of these groups did not go to school together. Maurice attended DC public schools, including Armstrong High School.
Maurice’s father died when he was four years old. He often spoke of how both of his older brothers---Phillip Edward, who went to work to help with family finances after his father’s death, and Abner Russell -- helped to raise him and looked out for him when he was growing up. His oldest sister Eleanor reported that as a young child, Maurice thought Phillip, who was 17 years older, was his father. After Armstrong High School, Maurice enlisted in the United States Navy. Seaman Lewis was a member of the Navy’s baseball team at his naval base. His family said that he was so good at baseball that he could have been in the major league, that is, if African Americans were allowed to play. A white naval officer asked why he was hanging out with the black enlisted men and on their baseball team. Maurice emphatically informed him that he was black, and they were his teammates and naval friends. He was harassed by that officer during much of the time at that base.
After serving in the Navy, Maurice became a guard at Lorton Prison in Lorton, Virginia. His next position was as a prison guard at the District of Columbia Jail. Later, he became the Director of Recreational Activities for the inmates. Maurice worked there until his retirement in [1992].
In 1957, Maurice married Gloria [Morgan] and together they had two children, Jon and Mauyrta (Robin). They divorced in 1964. In 1970, he married Shirley Rose Smith. He and Shirley made their home in Laurel, Maryland. His sister Doris Lewis also lived with them for eight years until her death in 2008.
Maurice loved his family. He also loved animals, especially dogs. Both he and Shirley liked pugs. and owned several over the course of their time together. He even “adopted” his son Jon, Sheila and Zora’s dog Pepper when he began living with Jon, Sheila and Zora. In addition to his love of dogs, he loved cars, owning many during his lifetime, and drove well into his 80’s. He enjoyed all sports and would talk for hours about the different football and basketball teams and golf as well. He also liked and had fun playing the lottery. Shirley passed away in 2005. In 2020, until his death, Maurice lived with his son, Jon, daughter-in-law Shelia and granddaughter Zora in Bowie, Maryland.
He will be greatly missed by his family; his son Jon, his wife Shelia and granddaughter Zora; his nephews, J. Bertron Withers, Jr. and Ronald Lewis; his nieces, Doris Withers and Vivian W. Canty; great nephews Nyerere Canty, Omari Lewis and Darius B. Withers; great nieces Samara Withers and Rashida Lewis and many co-workers and family members; and friends.
A Graveside Service for Maurice will be held Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Maryland National Memorial, 13300 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707.
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