Aina Hewitt
April 10, 1938-July 8, 2020
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Lissa Dashe

Aina (Bumanis) Hewitt passed away on July 8, 2020, following her beloved husband Harry by four months. Aina was born on April 10, 1938 in Riga, Latvia and lived there until she was six, when she and her mother were forced by the Soviets to flee their country. Her father was not permitted to accompany them, but was eventually able to leave on the very last ship out before the Soviets closed the borders. The family was only able to bring their silver teaspoons (used to trade for food) and Aina’s toy stuffed dog. They lived with other Latvians in what was then Czechoslovakia, where the refugees were required by the Germans to work in factories. As the Soviet front moved forward, they had to flee again on foot. Eventually, they were relocated to a Displaced Persons Camp in Oldenburg, Germany, where they lived for five years in a room in a barrack. In 1950, when Aina was 12, the family was lucky enough to get sponsorship by the Lutheran Church. Aina’s father quickly found a job as an electrical engineer (in spite of not yet knowing any English) with Westinghouse in Sunnyvale, and the family settled in Palo Alto.

Aina quickly learned English as she attended Palo Alto High School. Later, she attended UC Berkeley, where she majored in liberal arts. After graduation, on her first day of her job as a librarian at Stanford’s Biology Library, she caught Stanford Research Institute employee Harry Hewitt’s eye and he asked her out. They were a couple from then on, marrying in 1963. They bought a house in Palo Alto, where they lived for over 50 years and lovingly raised their three children.

Aina adored bicycling all over Palo Alto and could also be seen on daily walks with her myriad friends. She and Harry also loved travelling together in their RVs, their latest one being a Roadtrek. The Roadtrek made over 30 trips to Seattle to visit their daughter and grandkids. They frequented Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, always with their beloved Golden Retrievers in tow. The couple attended innumerable Stanford lectures, and local concerts, book readings and plays. After Harry retired, they could be found almost daily enjoying coffee and reading the newspaper at various Midtown cafes or at Cafe Borrone.

Aina is survived by their three children and five grandchildren: Lissa Dashe (and son-in-law Jeremy and their two children: Zachary and Juliette) of Bainbridge Island, WA; Alan Hewitt of Davis, CA; and Eric Hewitt (and daughter-in-law Leia and their three children: Trevor, Bradley, and Natalie) of Davis, CA. She will be missed so very much by her children and friends.