Mary Lou Lewis

Mary Lou Wood Lewis, 93, of Taylors, SC, beloved mother of four children, three step-sons, nine grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren, passed away on May 21, 2025 at The Gables on Pelham Road, Greenville, SC.

Mary Lou was born in Bedford, VA on September 21, 1931. Her parents were Robert O. Wood, Sr., and Ruth White Stiff. Mary Lou spent her childhood years, first, in Bedford and later, in Johnson City, TN. She attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN where she graduated Summa cum Laude with a B.S. in Chemistry. She graduated at the age of 19 and was the valedictorian of her class. Mary Lou went to work at the Tennessee Eastman Company in Kingsport, TN, in August 1950. At the time she was the youngest research chemist ever hired by the company.

Upon her resignation from Tennessee Eastman to start her family, Mary Lou took high school teachings positions in both Mullins, SC, and Johnson City, TN. She returned to Kingsport in 1962 and settled into work at Eastman Kodak.

In January 1967 Mary Lou accepted a position with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Cape Kennedy, Florida. She was hired to operate a mass spectrometer. At that time, only three such machines existed globally. Mary Lou played a critical role in determining the cause of fiery Apollo 1 disaster.

In June 1967 Mary Lou relocated back to both Kingsport and her job operating the mass spectrometer at Eastman Kodak. Not only did she, a son, and two daughters move back into the very house they had just left months earlier, but they also resumed fellowship with their church family at Mayfair United Methodist Church.

Mary Lou took Jack S. Lewis of Kingsport, TN as her second husband in January 1975. Jack became a dad to Mary Lou's children and Mary Lou became a second mother for his three boys. Together the couple put all of their children through college, at one time, having five of the six in higher education at the same time.

Mary Lou resigned form Eastman Kodak at the age of 55. She and Jack spent their retirement years traveling the world, serving with Civitan International, volunteering their services at golf tournaments, and caring for their grandchildren. Mary Lou and the grandchildren loved playing in a huge, second-floor closet in the Lewis' Eric Court home in Kingsport. These children were Mary Lou's pride and joy.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, her son, Chris, her mother and father, and all seven of her brothers and sisters. She is survived by her children: Roy Simmons (Anna Beth) and Emma Simmons of Taylors, SC; Karen McClelland of Greer, SC; Frank Lewis (Graca) of Summerfield, NC; David Lewis of Marietta, GA; and John Lewis (Paige) of Blowing Rock, NC, and Tampa, FL. Mary Lou is also survived by nine grandchildren: Sarah Pruitt (Christian), Matthew McClelland (Alyssa), Katie Wessel, Rebecca Gardner (Darren), Rachel Bowles (Mark), Amy White (Liam), Taylor Lewis, Preston Lewis (Allie), Parks Lewis and fourteen great grandchildren.

A celebration of Mary Lou's life will be held at East Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 4997 Memorial Boulevard, Kingsport, TN on Tuesday, May 27 at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that monetary remembrances by directed to Special Olympics South Carolina (SOSC) 204 Palmetto Park Boulevard, Lexington, SC, 29072.