Lewis, John Claude

John Claude Lewis, 98, of Fort Myers, Fla., formerly of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Gulf Coast Hospital. A memorial service was celebrated Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Fuller Metz Funeral Home in Cape Coral, Fla. Please visit to view John's Life Tribute and share a memory. Graveside services will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Czech National Cemetery in Cedar Rapids with the Rev. William Harnish officiating. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post 727. Papich-Kuba Funeral Service () is handling local arrangements.

John is survived by one son, Gary E. Lewis of Cape Coral, Fla., and one daughter, Linda Burns of Blue Springs, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Laura, Jerry, Angie, Christy, Brian, Brad, and Matthew; and four great-grandchildren, Jonas, Joshua, Bryce, and Cameron.

Preceding him in death was Evelyn (Ashenbrener) Lewis, to whom he was married on Sept. 28, 1940, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was the love of his life for one day short of 70 years; his parents, John Clyde and Vernie Estella (Moffitt) Lewis; sister, Rowena Hammans; two half-brothers, Milo Berry and Herbert Berry; and two half-sisters, Ada Gibbs and Anna Kramer.

John was born May 5, 1914, in Monroe Township, Madison County, Iowa. After graduating from Lorimor High School in 1932, he became the only teacher in a one-room schoolhouse before moving to Cedar Rapids in the late 1930s when he worked for the Iowa State Patrol.

John was employed by Collins Radio for 37 years. He served as a radio operator in both World War II and the Korean conflict. John obtained his private pilot's licenses in 1948 and on occasions would fly from Cedar Rapids to the Lorimor area and land in a farmer's field. He loved to play golf and play bridge in person or on the computer. John and Evelyn retired to Florida in 1977.

John was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and will be dearly missed. Anyone who had the privilege to know John knew he was a warm, strong, and loving soul. His family has a lifetime of happy memories of family gatherings he and his wife hosted, and of the loving relationship with both of them.

The following article appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press in February 2013. Copy and paste into your browser to read the article.

Published March 3, 2013 in The Gazette