Concetta Rose Lewis

Concetta was born in Portland, Maine on August 7th, 1935 to Italian immigrant parents, Antonio and Donata Cremonese of Manoppello, Italy.

Her parents both passed away when she and her five sisters were very young.

Concetta was brought up at St. Elizabeth's Home on High Street in Portland. She talked often of her favorite nun from St. Elizabeth's home, Sister Rose who taught her to swim in the ocean at Little Diamond Island where they would stay every summer. She later used the name Rose as her own middle name so as to never forget her.

Concetta had many friends in Portland, everyone that knew her loved her. She lived in Portland for the first half of her life. By all accounts she was a lot of fun to be around. She was always delighted to go shopping "up town" at Porteous Mitchell and Braun, W. T Grant and Woolworths with her beloved sisters. She also loved picnicking and ice skating in Portland's beautiful Deering Oaks park. She was the first to make friendly bets and enjoyed friendly competition such as carnival games, raffles and Bingo. She loved the holidays knowing she could spend more time celebrating with her friends and family.

Concetta was a very hard worker. She worked as a housekeeper, a nanny, a nurses aide and then as head inspector at Maine Fisheries for twenty-two years.

In 1968, Concetta married her love, Elwood (Sonny) Lewis and moved to a rural setting outside of Portland where she very much enjoyed a life in nature. She was quite fond of playing her guitar and singing around the bonfire with everyone.

She and Sonny also enjoyed boating on Casco Bay. She always said she was blessed to have the best of both worlds, the country life and being on the ocean.

Concetta joined a CB radio club with her husband. She went by the handle "Tinkerbell" and was known for singing and praying over the CB for other grateful CB enthusiasts. They took part in many club fundraisers and dinners. She even picked up the habit of saying "ten-four" when hanging up the phone or agreeing with you, which carried on into her final days. They both kept a keen ear to the scanner, making sure their neighbors were always kept safe from harm. Concetta continued to proudly support the American Federation of Police right into her old age. She considered herself one of their official Helpers, even having business cards made up to that effect. She once made the the news after spearheading a local campaign to lower the sodium content in processed foods. A TV news crew even came to her home in Windham to do a story on her campaign, she felt like a celebrity!

Concetta tended her whole wooded property as one would a garden. It was a garden of trees, grass, bushes and of course flowers. She was always out there feeding the birds and helping any unfortunate creatures such as wounded birds, fox, strays, even reptiles or amphibians if they were in harm's way. Even though she was petrified of them, she'd dramatically hoot and holler as she'd use a long stick to gently push the occasional snake or a frog out of the road in front of her property. She and Sonny even raised turkeys for a time.

Concetta had a great love of the Lord and the Virgin Mary from a very young age. She devoted so many hours to prayer for lost souls, friends, family members, world events; even animals or whatever other causes she could think of in the moment. If she got wind that you were having troubles, she'd immediately put you down on the prayer list.

She was always creative. Her creativity helped her see things differently and better deal with uncertainty. She wrote many songs and poems and also enjoyed drawing. For a while she even had a booth at the Windham Mall where she sold her crocheted items. She taught herself how to play the guitar, the spoons and to yodel.

She got great joy out of making thousands of special rosaries over the years, she called them the "daisy rosary". They were all identical and helped children and adults to not lose their place when saying the rosary. The idea was that the colors would indicate when to change prayers on the beads. She said to think of a daisy, each bead a petal falling one at a time for our Lady to sprinkle at our Lords feet, who would then answer our prayers. With the help of her sisters and family members her rosaries were sent overseas, to hospitals and became a local sensation at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland, where she'd leave them anonymously at the Virgin Mary statue for many a thankful stranger. It warmed her heart when one of her family members would find notes left at the statue thanking the mystery rosary maker for her generous spirit. There was even a write up in the Calvary Cemetery newsletter about it. One of her last requests was that we end the mystery and inscribe on her tombstone that she was "the maker of the daisy rosaries".

She did a lot of corresponding by mail with distant friends from around the globe. She was a great believer in never giving up on people, no matter the circumstance.

Concetta never lost her sense of humor or her love for the Lord. She never stopped being a prayer warrior for all those in need. Until her final months, Concetta could still be found out in her yard almost daily tending to the garden she cherished so much. Concetta had a great love of life and never stopped believing in miracles. She was beautifully unique and will never be forgotten by those whose lives and hearts she touched.

She was predeceased by her sisters Clorinda Fiorina Cremonese, Mary Elizabeth Cremonese, Yolanda Fortunata Bridges and Anna Louise Clorinda Myers.

She is survived by her sons, Lawrence Daigle and Russell G. Arno. Her sisters, Cindy (Santa) Del'aquilla, and Antoinetta Presby. Her four grandchildren and five great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and nephews and great-grand-nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved dearly.

Concetta's entire family would like to offer a sincere THANK YOU to the staff at Pine Point Center and Maine Medical Center. To all of the doctors, nurses and CNAs who so diligently and lovingly cared for Concetta throughout her last months. Your generosity of time, effort and spirit will be forever appreciated. We are in awe of all that you do.