In sure and certain hope of the resurrection, Mrs. Karla Churn Lewis, 78, of Bowling Green, died on Aug. 21, 2024, at VCU Medical Center, a place she always called MCV because she was not fond of the name change.
Karla was born to Mary Isabelle Gaskins Churn and William Carlton Churn in Nassawadox on Aug. 10, 1946. She grew up in Exmore and Wardtown on Occohannock Neck and attended Northampton High School, where she finished top of her class in 1964. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from MCV in 1968, just before the school merged with RPI.
Karla worked as a public health nurse for nearly 40 years at the Caroline County Health Department, where she made many of her closest friends and took the occasional long lunch.
Karla is survived by her husband of 56 years, Thomas Martin Lewis; her daughter, Mary Lowe (Dave); her son, David Lewis (Ratna); and by her grandchildren, Sita, Jacob, and John. To them, Karla passed down the joys of going to church, of picking out crabs, and of making the perfect toasted ham and cheese sandwich.
A celebration of Karla’s life will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, 810 Princess Anne St. A reception will follow.
Memorial donations may be made to Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church or to the VCU School of Nursing, even if she’d have preferred you call it MCV.
