April Lindsay

April Lewis Lindsay, age 66, died on June 22 at her home in Brevard in the comfort of her family and friends.  She is survived by her husband, Dr. Thomas “Toby” Lindsay, and her sons, Alexander Lindsay of Charlotte, and Clayton Lindsay of Santa Monica, CA. Her surviving siblings include Hugh Lewis of Hamptonville, NC, Sam Lewis of Tobaccoville, and Marjorie Stone (Bill) of Greensboro.  Her surviving cousins include Mollie McNair of Atlanta, Jane Wright and Cathy Wright Jones (Bobby) of Tabor City, and Lewis Wright of Lenoir.  Nieces and nephews include Stephanie Lewis-Myers (Angela) of Greensboro, Josh Lewis of New Orleans, and Harrison and Caroline Stone of Greensboro.  April is survived by her
self-adopted” daughter Esther Cloux Alonzo (Xavi Gorriz) of Barcelona, Spain, and her godchildren Anthony Harrison of Durham, Hannah Harrison of Greensboro, an Madeline and Townsend Dierauf of  Pisgah Forest.  She also leaves behind many cherished friends.  She was preceded in death by her mother Faye Johnson Lewis, and father Mack Martin Lewis of Greensboro.

April was born in Morganton, NC and moved with her family to Greensboro at age of 11. She graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and started her teaching career at High Point preschool for the Handicapped.  She met her husband, Toby, in High Point, and had her first son, Alexander, there.  The family then moved to Chapel Hill, where Clayton was born, and then Greenville, NC while Toby was completing his education.  April helped support the family by providing home childcare and working as an early childhood intervention specialist.

April and her family moved to Brevard, NC in 1991, where she continued her life’s work as director of Brevard Davidson River Presbyterian Preschool, director of Hampton Preschool in Cashiers, and as an in-home child nurturer.  Her passion was cultivation a web of friends and loved ones who were attracted to her warm and welcoming personality.  She loved to help new mothers with parenting challenges and was a mentor to many throughout Transylvania County and beyond.  She remained supportive and engaged with many of her former students and their parents.  She was a volunteer in Transylvania Elementary Schools and El Centro, and director of the Hampton School in Cashiers.  She was the primary host of Brevard’s Bad Girls’ Book Club, where delicious food and warm friendship were shared, and where on occasion books were discussed.  She will be remembered for her strong and courageous fight with ovarian cancer (for 12 years), and especially for her love and kindness to all who knew her.

She will be cremated, her ashes spread in various special locations.  A celebration of April’s life will occur at a later date.

Memorial donations can be made in her name to your preferred charity.