Margaret Mary Lewis, beloved aunt of Janet Finn Bauer-Nilsen, Voss Finn, Thomas Lewis Finn, Katherine Finn Gast, and Gregory Finn, died peacefully at home Thursday morning June 21 surrounded by family. She was 91 years old. Margaret Lewis was one of Cincinnati's well-known and admired portrait artists. Her paintings grace living rooms and boardrooms across the city and around the world. Her client list extends from Ireland to Peru. Margaret Lewis was born in New York City in 1916. Her professional career was influenced by her mother, Josephine Marguerite MacGuire Lewis. Mrs. Lewis ran an art restoration business in New York. Margaret spent her childhood around fine art and started her career by winning a scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City. She spent five years at the distinguished school developing her talent. Her sister, the late Janet Lewis Finn, a prominent sculptor, married the late William V. Finn, an attorney with Taft Stettinnius & Hollister, and moved to Cincinnati from New York. Miss Lewis began to receive commissions from Cincinnatians, and eventually moved here. Over the course of her career, Miss Lewis has often painted several generations of the same family. Cincinnati families who have commissioned her include the Robert H. Allen family, the Dr. Charles M. Barrett family, the Howard Carlisle family, the John H. Finn family, the Dr. Edmund W. Jones family, the John W. Warrington family, among others. She was commissioned by companies and universities to honor chairmen and presidents. Her works include portraits of prominent Cincinnatians: the late Dr. Charles M. Barrett (former Chairman of Western Southern Financial Group); John Finn Barrett (Chairman of Western Southern Financial Group); Walter Bartlett (former Chairman of Multimedia); the late Rev. Paul O'Connor, SJ (former President of Xavier University) and the late William S. Rowe (former Chairman of Fifth Third Bank). She was also commissioned by Georgetown University to paint a portrait of the late Rev. J. Hunter Guthrie, SJ (former President of Georgetown). Margaret was also commissioned to paint a mural depicting the founder of Georgetown, Archbishop John Carroll. This impressive work overlooks the main lobby of the Healy Hall at Georgetown University. She was preceded in death by her brother Thomas Lewis, sisters Josephine and Anne Lewis, and Janet Lewis Finn. She is also survived by seven great-nieces and nephews, Kristine and Olivia Bauer-Nilsen; Eleanor and Kathleen Finn; Ted and Marion Gast; Ryan, Eva and Anneliese Finn, and a host of relatives and friends. Visitation Saturday, June 30 at 9:00 a.m. at Gilligan Funeral Home, Kenwood. Mass of the Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 A.M., All Saints Catholic Church, Kenwood. Obituary available at the Cincinnati Enquirer online.

Service

Saturday, June 30, 2007 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Gilligan Funeral Home 3734 Eastern Avenue Cincinnati 45226, United States

Service

Saturday, June 30, 2007 10:30 AM All Saints Catholic Church 8939 Montgomery Road Cincinnati 45236, United States