1943
John
2017
John H. Lewis
August 13, 1943 — March 8, 2017
John H. Lewis passed away peacefully in his home at Westminster Canterbury Retirement Community in Lynchburg, Virginia on March 8, 2017. John suffered from –but challenged- a degenerative neurological disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
John was born August 13, 1943, in Roanoke, Virginia, to William W. Lewis of Culpeper, Virginia and the former Nancy Catherine Phipps from Bridle, Virginia. He was the younger brother of William W. Lewis, Jr. John was married to the former Nance Kissel for 24 years before she died in 2007.
In 2010, John married the former Joan Schad (Arrington Nelson) of Blacksburg, Virginia, who loved and cared for him faithfully during his disease, and survives him. His brother, William W. Lewis (Jutta), nephew, Christopher (Danielle) Lewis, and niece, Monica Coughlin (John), a special cousin, Susan Richards and five great nieces and nephews also survive him. John had no children.
John grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he attended public schools, graduating from high school in 1961. He obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965, from Virginia Tech where he was President of the German Club his senior year. When at Virginia Tech, he also served on the committee created by then President T. Marshall Hahn to chart the conversion of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (as Virginia Tech was then known) to a comprehensive public university. John was awarded a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by Princeton University in 1971.
John’s professional career included service at DuPont, Xonics, ARCO Solar, and Raytheon, from which he retired in 2003. He lived in Wilmington, Delaware; Los Angeles, California; Rome, Italy; Dallas, Texas; and Palm Springs, California where he was a passionate sailor, owning and operating a boat on the Southern California Coast before moving to Westminster Canterbury in 2008.
John’s and Joan’s combined strength and love for each other enabled John to live through the difficult years of suffering with the scourge of his relentless disease. He and Joan were still able to enjoy some limited travel to VT football games and to visit friends and family. John’s positive nature allowed him to make many friends during his lifetime. Two important ones are Nicole Price and Kyle Dow, who cared for, helped and encouraged John and Joan during John’s last years with a grace that only God can give. John was loved by all and many people spoke of the privilege of knowing him. He was an athlete, an engineer, an inventor, and a poet. He will be greatly missed.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, tax deductible contributions be made to CurePSP, an organization for brain disorders by calling 1-800-457-4777, Email To WWW.CUREPSP.ORG or mail to: Curepsp, 30 E. Padonia Rd. Ste 201,Tomonium, MD 21093-9923
A Memorial Service celebrating John’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, with the Reverend Todd M. Vie officiating. The family will hold a reception for friends at the funeral home immediately following the service.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.
John was born August 13, 1943, in Roanoke, Virginia, to William W. Lewis of Culpeper, Virginia and the former Nancy Catherine Phipps from Bridle, Virginia. He was the younger brother of William W. Lewis, Jr. John was married to the former Nance Kissel for 24 years before she died in 2007.
In 2010, John married the former Joan Schad (Arrington Nelson) of Blacksburg, Virginia, who loved and cared for him faithfully during his disease, and survives him. His brother, William W. Lewis (Jutta), nephew, Christopher (Danielle) Lewis, and niece, Monica Coughlin (John), a special cousin, Susan Richards and five great nieces and nephews also survive him. John had no children.
John grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he attended public schools, graduating from high school in 1961. He obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965, from Virginia Tech where he was President of the German Club his senior year. When at Virginia Tech, he also served on the committee created by then President T. Marshall Hahn to chart the conversion of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (as Virginia Tech was then known) to a comprehensive public university. John was awarded a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by Princeton University in 1971.
John’s professional career included service at DuPont, Xonics, ARCO Solar, and Raytheon, from which he retired in 2003. He lived in Wilmington, Delaware; Los Angeles, California; Rome, Italy; Dallas, Texas; and Palm Springs, California where he was a passionate sailor, owning and operating a boat on the Southern California Coast before moving to Westminster Canterbury in 2008.
John’s and Joan’s combined strength and love for each other enabled John to live through the difficult years of suffering with the scourge of his relentless disease. He and Joan were still able to enjoy some limited travel to VT football games and to visit friends and family. John’s positive nature allowed him to make many friends during his lifetime. Two important ones are Nicole Price and Kyle Dow, who cared for, helped and encouraged John and Joan during John’s last years with a grace that only God can give. John was loved by all and many people spoke of the privilege of knowing him. He was an athlete, an engineer, an inventor, and a poet. He will be greatly missed.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, tax deductible contributions be made to CurePSP, an organization for brain disorders by calling 1-800-457-4777, Email To WWW.CUREPSP.ORG or mail to: Curepsp, 30 E. Padonia Rd. Ste 201,Tomonium, MD 21093-9923
A Memorial Service celebrating John’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, with the Reverend Todd M. Vie officiating. The family will hold a reception for friends at the funeral home immediately following the service.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John H. Lewis, please visit our flower store.
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