Lisa Ann Lewis

On July 14, 2013 a very dear friend and long time 9-1-1 professional passed away here in Ft. Myers (Fla.) at only 47 years old. Lisa Ann Lewis proudly served at the Ft. Myers Police Department (FMPD) as a communications operator/dispatcher for 25 years. During that time, she acquired the respect and devotion of countless trainees as well as seasoned officers. A multitasking powerhouse, Lisa stood only about 4 feet tall and could dispatch and monitor more channels at once that most of us could shake a stick at.

Lisa suffered from a lifetime illness called Progeria, a rare genetic condition that causes rapid aging. She had to deal with more medical issues and surgeries than any person should. A lot of her surgeries were extremely serious and life threatening, including open heart and heart valve replacement. But the thing about “Little Lisa,” as she was affectionately known, is that if you didn’t know her, you would never know she was sick. Those of us who were close to her would often try to get her to go home when we knew she wasn’t feeling well. She usually refused, not wanting to leave her shift short or have to call someone else in to cover.

Lisa’s dedication to her team and her shift was true. She was often referred to as the calm in the storm. Many officers remember how safe they felt hearing her voice on the radio at the beginning of their shift.

Once you met her, you could never forget her. Lisa loved children and they loved her. Countless little ones were rocked to sleep in the radio room and many officers’ and dispatcher’s children remember being babysat by “Ms. Lisa.” I think because of her size and constant smile, children of all ages were drawn to her. My daughter was about five or six years old when she borrowed clothes from Lisa after getting wet at her house one day. She was so excited the clothes actually fit her.

Lisa always joked about her size and how hard it was to find clothes and shoes without cartoon characters on them. One afternoon she came on duty wearing a pair of denim overalls. She stood in the middle of the comm center and spun around slowly. “Cindy, check it out. Please tell me you don’t see any Osh Kosh B’Gosh tags anywhere.” She always cracked me up.

Officers’ children and explorers who grew up in the department had a special place in Lisa’s heart. I remember shopping with Lisa for a sergeant’s son after he passed his state exam and got accepted into the department. We set up his “office” with everything he would need to go on the road. I know she always paid a little more attention to the rookies until they got past their probation.

Lisa had a serving heart. She was a long time member of our local Optimist Club. For 23 years, Lisa volunteered tirelessly for Respect for Law Camp, where she was able to combine her two loves: children and law enforcement. There are countless kids and teenagers here in Ft. Myers who will never forget Ms. Lisa. And as with everything Lisa did, she poured her heart and soul into her projects. She made quite an impression on all those kids.

Lisa was devoted to her family, her church and her community. She will be greatly missed by so many. Her family’s visitation and service was a veritable who’s who of FMPD. She touched so many lives that people came from all over to say goodbye. Retirees and former co-workers from years past came to see her off and share memories. We all joked that she was probably upset that she wasn’t involved in all the planning for her service. But I think she was happy with the results. Friends and family came together that day to celebrate her life. I will miss my friend. She taught us all about strength, loyalty, grace and living life to its fullest.Her family chose to bury Lisa in her FMPD dress uniform. I think it was appropriate. After all, she was the voice of FMPD.

***July’s article focused on PTSD and I received a lot of emails from readers expressing thanks and sharing their experiences. I wanted to share with you a therapy that was brought to my attention. Two readers utilize eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). They have been having great success with it and I wanted to pass it along to my readers who may be suffering from PTSD and have not been able to find something that works for them. Here are a couple of sites that you may find useful: www.emdr.com and for a description www.emdrnetwork.org/description.html.

I wish you well in your recovery.

About the Author
Cindra Dunaway is a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Lee County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. Contact her via email at [email protected]