John Dowley Lewis "Jack"

Age 88 years. Died, December 6, at St. John's on the Lake, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in Evanston, IL. Lived in Milwaukee, WI. Spent winters in Tucson, AZ and summers on Martha's Vineyard, MA. Survived by loving wife (of 65 years) Phoebe Reese Lewis, 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren: Lloyd Lewis (Patrick) Eagan of Madison, WI. and their sons: Gavin and Brendan (Kinnic) Eagan and great-grandchildren, Aidan and Juniper Quynh Eagan. Thekla Lewis (John) Metz of Evanston, IL. and their daughters: Phoebe and Miranda Metz. Meredith Lewis (Tom) Degen of Madison, WI. and their children: George, Thekla, Eleanor, and Henry Degen. Graham (Elizabeth Powell) Lewis of Chicago, IL. and their sons: Brynn and Rhys Lewis. Bradley (Kristen) Lewis of Belmont, MA. and their children: Everett and Lynn Lewis. His sister Barbara Lewis Howell of Vineyard Haven MA. and brother Albert Theodore Lewis ""Ted"" and his wife Anne Heuer Lewis of Glenview, IL. Further survived by other relatives and many friends. Preceded in death by father, Dunbar Lewis and mother, Gladys Dowley Lewis of Glencoe, IL. Graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL, and Princeton University, Princeton NJ with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Served in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II and was on one of the first ships at Bikini Atoll for the testing of the atomic bomb. Jack started his career working for Owens Corning Fiberglass in Toledo, OH. Learned the foundry business working for Campbell Wyatt & Cannon in Muskegon MI, before becoming a Manufacturer's Representative and starting his own sales business, Lewis Sales Company, selling industrial machinery and chrome plating. Later, he owned Southern Plating and Wisconsin Chromium. Jack was a lifelong member of Rotary Club of Milwaukee; he was a founding member of the Rotary Club in South Haven, Michigan; he co-chaired the first two Lake Front Festival of the Arts in 1964 and 1965 at the Milwaukee Art Museum; served on the Board and then as Chairman of the Board of Piney Woods Country Life School in Jackson, Mississippi, a boarding school for African-American children founded in 1909 to prepare student for careers and college. Jack was on the Board of Directors for Riveredge Nature Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the Milwaukee Chamber Theater. He also sang in his church choir and with the Bel Canto Chorus. Jack's greatest passions were Mountaineering - First ascent of Brussels Peak in Canada and one of the first winter climbs of the Grand Teton with Paul Petzold, a renowned climber and founder of National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), served as climbing guide in the Tetons during the his college summers, named Glencoe Spire in the Teton range with his brother Ted. Jack also enjoyed hiking, tennis, squash, sailing, snorkeling, skiing and enjoying nature, making sculptures from found natural objects, traveling in the U.S. and worldwide. Service & Reception InfoA Memorial Service is scheduled for December 21 at 4PM at Immanuel Presbyterian Church 1100 N. Astor St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. Memorials can be made to Piney Woods Country Life School in Jackson, Mississippi, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, or the Milwaukee Art Museum.

John Dowley Lewis "Jack"

December 6, 2015