Bessie Mae Rawlins Lewis Bessie Mae "Babs" Rawlins Lewis, 94, a retired educator, died Wednesday, July 5, 2006. A private memorial service is planned. Burial will be at Valley Memorial Gardens outside of McAllen, Texas. Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel (850-877-8191) is handling arrangements.Memorial contributions may be made to the Big Bend Homeless Coalition: Hope Community, 2729 W. Pensacola St., Tallahassee, FL 32304. Born June 29, 1912, to Wiley Harry and Bessie Hagler Rawlins of Hutchins, Texas, she lived a charmed childhood in the country and commuted to Sunset High School in Dallas, from which she graduated.Finishing college in 1935 at the College of Industrial Arts (CIA), now Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, she began her career as a teacher in Mercedes, Texas. There she met her beloved husband, A. W. "Buster" Lewis. They later moved to Pharr, Texas, and then settled in McAllen and enjoyed the rich social life of the developing Rio Grande Valley, making innumerable close and devoted friends.Mrs. Lewis taught for many years in McAllen's elementary schools. At the time of her death, she was a member of Chapter BV, P.E.O.; a sustainer and member emeritus of the Junior League of McAllen; and a continuing member of the First United Methodist of McAllen. For the last eight years, Mrs. Lewis has lived at Westminster Oaks retirement community in Tallahassee.She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Albert William Jr. and Signe Oas Lewis of Rockbridge Baths, Va., and John Rawlins and Ellen Pagenstecher Lewis of Tallahassee; four grandchildren, Albert Jenner Lewis II (and wife Amber Leigh), Anne-Marie Lewis Singleton (and husband Darin), Bradford Rawlins Lewis (and wife Morgan) and Emily-Adele Pagenstecher Lewis; her sole great-grandchild, John Mason Singleton; and a friend and longtime caregiver, Josefina Perez M. of Reynosa, Mexico.In addition to her parents, Mrs. Lewis was preceded in death by her husband; her brother, Wiley Harry Rawlins Jr.; and an infant son.