Glenda Margaret Lewis

She was born on a Sunday, and she died on a Sunday…so fitting.

On October 8, 1944, Glenda Margaret Boyd came into the world already wrapped in a story far bigger than most. Glenda was born on the Dyersburg Army Air Base in Dyersburg, Tennessee, about 2 miles north of Halls. Her mother, Marguerite Gatlin Boyd, passed away just two days after Glenda’s birth—a loss that shaped not only her family but the fierce, tender resilience that would define Glenda’s entire life. Her father, Glenn Curtiss Boyd, died in 1969. Still, by then Glenda had already grown up surrounded by the constellation of aunts and kin who raised her out on Highway 70, where love was shared through handed-down wisdom, front-porch conversations, and the kind of family loyalty that stitches itself into your bones.

Glenda carried that loyalty—and that love—into everything she touched.

She graduated from North Side High School and went on to Memphis State, where she trained for the work that she was unquestionably meant to do. For nearly 40 years, Mrs. Lewis greeted the children of Alexander Elementary School with a smile, warmth, and a belief in them so steady that it became a place for them to anchor themselves. She wasn’t just a teacher; she was a safe harbor, an encourager, a maker of readers and believers. Every student she ever taught loved her almost as much as she loved them—though anyone who knew Glenda knows she always managed to love people just a little harder.

Her classroom may have been full of love and joy, but her heart reserved a special place for the two people she adored beyond measure: her sons, Michael Christan and Brandon Boyd. Being their mother was the greatest joy of her life. She instilled kindness, compassion, and gentleness in her boys. When she became “Mamaw,” her heart grew bigger. She adored her family, grandchildren, and her great-granddaughter. Her family was the most precious legacy she left this world. To her family, she was the definition of sweetness itself, the gentlest presence, the softest place to land, and the quiet hero of ordinary days.

She was pure sunshine—joy wrapped in human form. She was sweeter than the candy you could always find around her house and the desserts she always managed to save a little room for. Music was the soundtrack of her life, and she never missed a chance to dance, laugh, or hum her little “doo te doo de doo” as she moved through the world with light footsteps and an open heart. She loved Elvis, the Eagles, the Bee Gees, Clapton, and a playlist that could fill a lifetime. If one of her favorites came on, you could bet she’d be dancing a little jig before the first chorus. A lover of old movies and an avid reader, Glenda found comfort and magic in stories of every kind. Not only did she play the accordion, but she also played piano and could perform “Tennessee Waltz” with a tenderness that felt like home. She delighted in chasing giggling grandchildren through her house during games of hide-and-seek and reading the same books those children loved over and over.

She never met a stranger, and every person who crossed her path left better for having felt her love and kindness. Our prayer is that we each go forward carrying a piece of that gentle kindness that lived at the very core of her beautiful soul. Any time a sweet hint of White Diamonds perfume floats through the air, we will smile knowing that while she is not here with us physically, she is undeniably a loving memory away.

Her story began with loss, but she wrote the rest with love. And that love remains, steady as Highway 70, long after her journey has brought her home. While our hearts ache knowing how much she will be missed, we rejoice knowing that she is with Jesus and finally in the arms of her loving mother.

Glenda leaves behind her sons, Chris Lewis (Estefania) and Brandon Lewis (Misty), her grandchildren, Parker Lewis (Meg), Claire Buie (Jacob), Abigail Lewis, Brayden Lewis, Diego Valverde, Ryman Lewis, Nicolas Lewis, River Lewis, and Sebastian Lewis. And her great-granddaughter, Lilah James Lewis.

Per Glenda’s wishes, there will be no formal service.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.