George Lewis of Southampton died in Port Jefferson on November 9 from complications of a stroke. He was 82.
Born August 23, 1931 at home in Southampton, he was the son of Elfreida and Harold Lewis. He attended Southampton public schools and excelled in basketball and baseball. After graduation from high school, as a strong-hitting southpaw first baseman, he tried out for minor league baseball. Soon afterward, he joined the United States Navy, became trained as an aviation electrician and was aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier in the Pacific during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged and attended Farmingdale College on the GI Bill, studying aeronautical engineering and becoming the first baseman on their championship baseball team. He later played ball for the Bridgehampton Blue Sox.
Mr. Lewis worked for Grumman Corporation for more than 30 years, and he would still get together regularly with a bunch of “Grummanites” for lunch. He married Pamela Gaynor Lewis, who predeceased him, on September 9, 1961, and they were married nearly 44 years before she died.
Mr. Lewis was very active in the community, volunteering for the Southampton Fire Department’s Hook and Ladder Company, of which he was still an exempt member, and its Benevolent Association. He was active at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Southampton as a regular usher on Sunday mornings and as a longtime vestry member. He also served many years on the Southampton Village Planning Board. He enjoyed golf and had been a member of Southampton Golf Club and Olde Hickory Golf Club in Fort Myers, Florida, where he and his wife had enjoyed 11 years of retirement. He was a New York Giants and New York Yankees fan.
Mr. Lewis is survived by his two daughters and their families, Pamela Lewis Forrest and husband Jon, and daughter Samantha of Connecticut; and Gail Lewis Sousa and husband Joe and daughter Quinn and son Christopher of Florida. He is also survived by four sisters, Bernice Holden and husband John of Southampton, Mary Hildreth and husband Merrill of Sagaponack, Dot Tennant and husband Gil of Southampton and Nancy Sayre and husband Tom of Virginia; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Eleanor Graves and her husband Stewart.
Visitation will be at O’Connell Funeral Home on Friday, November 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., with a firematic service at 7:30 p.m. A memorial service will take place on Saturday, November 16, at 11 a.m. at St John’s Episcopal Church.
Memorial donations may be made to the Southampton Fire Department Benevolent Association, PO Box 499, Southampton, NY 11968 or St John’s Episcopal Church, 100 South Main Street, Southampton 11968.
on Nov 12, 2013