NEW HAMPTON---Isabella Maria Lewis, 93, of New York City, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021, at the Concord Hospital-Laconia.
Isabella was born on July 24, 1927, in the Netherlands, the daughter of Anna Maria Peters and Antonius Johannes Beekers. Isabella married Martin Lewis, a Holocaust survivor, in 1958. Their daughter, Mary Ann Lewis was born in 1959 and brought immense joy to their lives. They shared a beautiful life together in Washington Heights, New York City, New York. Isabella fondly describes memories of her, Martin, Mary Ann, and her father in upstate New York. She shared her father’s enjoyment of walking, cherishing her walks in the hills of her neighborhood. She also loved reading, traveling, mingling with friends, and being in close contact with family, including keeping beautiful family albums.
Isabella highly valued hard work, she would often say proudly, “I worked until I was 82!”. She would also say “No one ever died of hard work.”. Before moving to the United States, Isabella loved her work in a stamp collector business in the Netherlands. She described this work with exuberance, sharing all of the fun she would have and how quick on her feet, both literally and metaphorically, she needed to be to keep up with the fast-paced, highly competitive business. Once she moved to New York City she and Martin shared a business together trading stamps. Later she also worked for another stamp collector in New York City. She worked at Chemical Bank, now Chase Manhattan for ten years. She finished her career working as a podiatrist’s assistant for the private practice of Dr. Stewart Kamen. While she deeply enjoyed and was proud of her work, her life was most touched by those she met along her journey.
Isabella deeply loved all of those that touched her life. Anyone that met Isabella knew she was a genuine and kind-hearted person. She was also courageous and resolute yet carried herself with a warm elegance. Her resilience was also unwavering.
Her friends and family were whom Isabella cherished the most. Isabella was also a loving mother and wife and was very proud and blessed by her nephews for whom she loved speaking to over the phone. When Nick was a young boy he would enthusiastically yell, “Oma!, Oma!, Oma!”, Dutch for Grandmother, as he came close to her apartment, so enthusiastically Isabella would be able to hear him from her window in her two-story walk-up. Isabella was a great Oma and often shared with pride about the day she became an Oma, a responsibility she did not take lightly. Nick is pleased that so many close to him and his wife got to know Oma during her time in New Hampshire. She would be proud to know that she will live on in all the beautiful lives that she met along her journey and those that will come after her.
Isabella is survived by her loving grandson, Nicholas (Nick) Raptis and his wife Alexandria (Lexie), of New Hampton, New Hampshire, loving nephew, Rudd Plattel, of the Netherlands, his wife Gonnie, and their daughters Daniela and Natasja, Ed Plattel’s children Inge, Anne-Marie, Stephan, and Louis, and Ron Plattel’s wife Liny and children Thomas, Simon, and Victor. She is also survived by her friends in New York City Connie, Ursela Woodfin, Ali and Suzy. In addition to her parents and sister, Isabella is predeceased by her husband Martin Lewis, her daughter Mary Ann Lewis, her nephews Ron Plattel and Ed Plattel, her niece MarjaPlattel, and her dear cousin Bella Loven. She is also predeceased by her friends Setta and Mrs. Silverman.
A private service was held on May 4th. Additionally, a service will be said in Isabella’s name on May 7th, 2021 at 7:30 PM EST. Please contact Nick or Lexie via email for such details. Additionally, a family gathering will be held in honor of Isabella at the home of Nick and Lexie Raptis on May 9th and a future gathering in New York per Isabella’s wishes. Thank you to all of our family and friends for their support. The love Isabella exuded in her life to those around her is warming our spirits.
In lieu of flowers please plant trees in Israel or make a donation to the Jewish National Fund in Isabella’s honor. More information can be found at shiva.com, click HONOR.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com. Additionally, a guest book may be signed at www.wilkinsonbeane.com.