Eileen Lewis

Eileen O'Leary Lewis, 51, of Sanford, died January 3 at the Goodall Hospital in Sanford following a lengthy illness.She was born in Biddeford on April 7, 1956 the daughter of Jeremiah J. and Shirley (Niddrie) O'Leary, Jr. She attended the former St. Mary's School, was a 1974 graduate of Biddeford High School and a 1977 graduate of Westbrook College.Eileen worked as a Certified Medical Assistant for Carl M. Haas, MD and David Paul, MD in Biddeford, and for the last 20 years was employed with Associated Eye Care in Sanford.Eileen was Irish, period. She loved all the symbols and traditions of Ireland and a high point of her life was the trip she and her husband Jess took there several years ago.Family was the only thing more important to her than her heritage. She lovingly doted on her family, especially her children. She maintained a busy organized chaos of a home where food and drink was always at the ready. Never shy, retiring or subtle, she loved life and lived it to its fullest.She was predeceased by her father and her stepfather, William C. Smith.Survivors include her husband, Jess P. Lewis of Sanford, her mother, Shirley Niddrie Smith of Sanford, her son, Christian J. Black of Boulder, CO, her daughter, Callie O. Black of Elmira, NY, a stepdaughter, Allison Lewis of Scarborough, 2 stepsons, Joshua Lewis, currently stationed with the US Army in Germany, Casey Lewis of Sanford, her brother, James E. O'Leary, his wife Donna and their children Jeremiah, Maria and Erica, all of Worcester, MA, a step sister, Karen Carnevale and her husband David of Norman, OK, a step brother, Karl Smith and his wife Joan of North Carolina, several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and her two dogs Murphy and Reilly.Relatives and friends are invited to call on Sunday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Lafrance-Lambert & Black Funeral Home, 29 Winter Street, Sanford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10 AM at St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church in Sanford. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery in Biddeford.Eileen's family wishes to extend their thanks and appreciation to William F. Frank, MD and the staff of the Goodall Hospital in Sanford for the extraordinary kindness and care shown to her and to them through her illness.Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider Beacon Hospice, 54 Atlantic Place, So. Portland, ME 04106 or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 19 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226, attn.: Contribution Services. To send the family a message of condolence, please click on the Condolences tab at left.