Pauline "Mom" Lewis, who died Saturday at age 92, was one of those individuals who wasn't in the public spotlight yet made a tremendous difference in her community and in the success of her family's entertainment and business organization.
Her family was the Lincolnton, Ga.-based Lewis Family Bluegrass Gospel singers, composed of Roy "Pop" Lewis, her husband of 77 years, and her children and grandchildren who achieved international fame from their recordings, TV and radio appearances and thousands of concerts.
While her family sang on stages like the Lincoln Center in New York City and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., she was off-stage sewing their costumes, selling their albums and cooking their Tuesday night meals during their four decades of taping their weekly TV show.
Yet her behind-the-scenes hard work and dedication did not go entirely unnoticed. She was honored by the Southern Gospel Music Association in Gatlinburg, Tenn., for her tireless efforts.
Mrs. Lewis taught her family, and all those who knew and loved her, not to just sing about Christian living but how to live a good Christian life. Her long life demonstrated how each of us can make a difference without taking credit, seeking fame or stepping into the spotlight.
She was simply, according to longtime friend and admirer (and Chronicle entertainment writer) Don Rhodes, "one of the sweetest people I ever knew." We share in mourning the loss of this widely beloved woman, who touched the lives of everyone she knew.
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