Our family's angel on earth was called home to be with the Lord on Monday, April 10, 2023 at Lynchburg General Hospital. Leola Ernestine Lewis Carey Gillispie was born on January 7, 1934 in Buckingham, VA to Benjamin F. Lewis Sr., and Ruth Spencer Lewis. She was born, the second of nine children. Leola professed Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and joined Oak Hill Baptist Church. She possessed the gift of hospitality. Her family loved to visit her home because they knew there would always be plenty of home cooked food that was made with love. Her beloved specialty was her delicious corn pudding. She knew she could not arrive to a family function without it! To her nieces and nephews "Aunt Lee" was a very special part of their childhood memories. Leola loved going to church and blessing us with her beautiful, high soprano voice. She sang in several choirs, other than her own at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Throughout the years, she sang with the choirs of Fork Union Baptist Church and Chief Cornerstone Baptist Church. Leola served as the president of the Oak Hill Baptist Church choir, as well as president of the missionaries. She was also an active member of the United Baptist Women's Missionary and Education Convention of Central Virginia. Professionally, she was a child care provider, a nurse aide and later retired after many years of service from Morton's Frozen Foods in Crozet, VA. She was predeceased by her first husband, Tom Carey and second husband Ben Gillispie, parents; Deacon Benjamin F. Lewis Sr. and Deaconess Ruth Spencer Lewis, her brothers; Benjamin F. Lewis, Jr. and Joe L. Lewis, and nephew James E. Woodson Jr. Loving memories of Leola will remain, along with her legacy of love and devotion to family. Left to mourn this heartfelt loss are: siblings, Gladys Dean, Grace McCollum, Deacon Harold Lewis, Sr., William Lewis (Cecelia), Loveleen Perkins (John), and her sister and god daughter Mary Nell Woodson (James, Sr.); sister-in-law, Edna Lewis, god daughter Sherry Slater, seven step-children, and a host of cousins, friends, nieces and nephews, including her devoted nephew and god son, Thomas L. Woodson. She is also survived by a very special friend, Deacon Earl Claiborne.