Rumson resident Michele Walker Lewis passed away at her home, surrounded by family, on Feb. 11. She was 50.

“Michele touched many lives and was beloved not only by her family and friends, but also by people she interacted with on her daily routine,” her obituary said.

Born to Barry Walker and the late Gayle (Sykes) Walker, Michele grew up in Toms River.

She had a career as a fashion model before she became a mom to her son Grant, whom she home-schooled in her Rumson home.

Known as a mom who cherished her time with her son, “Michele’s greatest joy was spending her days with Grant,” her loved ones said in her obituary. “They had a wonderful routine that complemented his schooling with many field trips, outings, and afternoons spent with close friends and family.”

Michele also had a deep love of animals, especially horses and Greyhounds. She spent much of her youth in stables caring for horses, including her own Spice, a horse she owned into her 20s.

Services were held over the weekend on Feb. 15 an 16 at John E. Day Funeral Home, Red Bank. Other arrangements were private.

However, in Michele’s memory, in lieu of flowers, people are encouraged to donate to the Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation (IGRF), Attention: Patty Woodbury – IGRF Treasurer, 7 Damon St., North Reading, MA 01864-2210.

Michele is predeceased by her mother, Gayle Walker. 

She is survived by: her husband of nearly 20 years, Robert Lewis; her son, Grant; her father, Barry Walker of Plantation, FL; her brother and sister in law, Todd and Karen Walker, of Port St. Lucie, FL; her aunt, Jeanette Sproul of Middlesex; her aunt, Karen Torsky and husband John, of Louisville, KY; and her cousins and their spouses, Jennifer and E.J. Laguerra and Neil and Michelle Mackie, all of Green Brook, NJ.

— Obituary, John E. Day Funeral Home