Carol Ray Lewis, 89, died Thursday, December 8, 2022 at the Huntsville Hospital Family Care Inpatient Hospice following complications from hip surgery.
He leaves his wife of 28 years Lynn Sparks-Lewis, his daughters Nancy McColloch (Terry), Janet Jackson (Stony), stepson Gary Sparks (Susie), stepdaughter Marcia Cordonis (Gus), three grandchildren Alley Jackson McCord (Matt), Trey Jackson (Sarah Elizabeth), Blake Jackson (Claire), and 4 great grandchildren, Mills McCord, Cotton McCord, Penn Jackson and Annie Jackson.
Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, the son of Walter and Odessa Lewis, he grew up in Whitt, Texas and the Ft. Worth area. He attended Southern Methodist University pursuing a call to Youth Ministry. While serving at youth camps in Alabama at Camp Sumatanga, he met and married Dorothy Gail Alley and began to serve churches in the North Alabama Conference. He carried a love for reading and books, so leaving the ministry in 1965, he opened his first book store “The Book Mark” in Decatur, Alabama. Building a successful small business for over 35 years, he opened several other locations as “The Book and Card Mart” in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.
After open heart surgery in the 1980’s, walking and exercise became a daily focus. Until just a year ago, you could find Carol walking everyday through the neighborhoods of Southeast Decatur and Point Mallard. He loved the people and neighbors he met and saw every day for 40 years.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, December 16, 2022 at Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, AL, beginning at 11:00am. After the service, the family will receive friends in Ridley Hall with a private inurnment of his ashes to follow.
Because of the precious care given in Mr. Lewis’ in his final hours, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to Huntsville Hospital Foundation, designated the “Family Care Hospice” fund. Donations may be mailed to Huntsville Hospital Foundation, 801 Clinton Avenue East, Huntsville, AL 35801, or made online at huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org.
