Sylvia Lewis, wife of Frank Lewis (a decorated WWII breaker of Japanese shipping codes and Nation magazine crossword puzzle maker) died aged 97 on Sunday August 11, in her home at Stafford Hill Assisted Living center in Plymouth, MA. For half a century, Sylvia tested and solved all of Frank's cryptic puzzles prior to publication. They were both lifelong members of the American Cryptogram Association (ACA) and delighted in deciphering complex ciphers and codes. Sylvia was a seasoned traveler, as Frank's secret work as a cryptanalyst at NSA and Bletchley Park took him around the world. The whole family accompanied him when he went to England as liaison officer with GCHQ. They retained lifelong relationships with British friends in the Anglo-American Club. Daughter of Russian Jewish émigrés, Sylvia showed the strength of her character from her earliest years. On her first day of school, told to wait for her brother to pick her up, she lost patience and walked miles home. She contracted polio as a child and "just fell down and got back up again," as she used to say. She grew up in Washington with her brothers Sidney (a talented photographer, athlete and trade unionist later killed fighting with the International Brigades in the Spanish civil war), and Robert, a naturalist and writer. It was on Bob's guided nature walks with the Wanderbirds hiking club that she met her future husband Frank. They shared a love of dancing, music, and art which they passed on to their six children. When they retired to the Caribbean in 1968, Sylvia's talent for drawing flourished in the tropical beauty of Montserrat , and her watercolors of flowers, landscapes and island people filled every wall. Back in the States, Sylvia never complained through a mini stroke, a car accident that broke her neck, and severe arthritis that required major spinal surgery, taking it all in her stride. When doctors told her she might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, she confounded them once more by learning to walk again. Frank and Sylvia moved to Stafford Hill Assisted Living Center in 2008. In her new home, Sylvia made a habit of scooping the jackpot at Bingo, and getting the highest score in Long Word. She sang in the chorus, made jewelry and played her African drum and xylophone. Sylvia followed international events with interest, and subscribed to dozens of progressive charities for family planning, Native American schools, girls' education in the third world, and environmental action groups. She cared about people, and was intolerant of bigotry. When she was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor a few months ago, her characteristic response was to sing "Que Sera, Sera." She was a very private person, and would clam up when asked about herself. But she could have written a great story. The family would like to thank Cranberry Hospice and the staff at Stafford Hill for their wonderful and compassionate care. Sylvia is survived by daughters Elaine and Wendy, and sons Frank and Larry; and grandchildren Ramana and Jim, Tad and Carwyn, and great grandson Griffin. She will join Frank in the Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven, MA, on a hillside overlooking the river. The grave-side service will be held Thursday August 22nd 2013- their wedding anniversary- at 11 A.M. All are welcome.