Paul Lewison

PAUL LEWISON

Anamosa

Paul Lewison, 85, died Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, at home in Anamosa.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 Thursday morning, Nov. 3, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Anamosa, with interment in Riverside Cemetery, with military honors. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Anamosa Ambulance Boosters and St. Paul's Church Parking Lot Fund.

Surviving are his wife, Verna; three children, Todd (Shari) of Cedar Rapids, Bret (Lorene) of Apple Valley, Minn., and Amy (Chris) Deeb of Mount Vernon; eight grandchildren, Peter (Kelly), Daniel, Nisse, Alex, Jack, Sam, Adam and Austin; two great-grandchildren, Andrew and Elizabeth; his sister, Helen (Robert) Peterson of Charles City; sister-in-law, Alice Lewison of Forest City; and brothers- and sisters-in-law, Earl and Norene McCaustland of Monticello, Ken and Norine Smith of Great Falls, Mont., and Paul and Lynda Boyle of Dummerston, Vt.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Ted Lewison.

Paul Adrian Lewison was born Sept. 26, 1931, in Emmetsburg, Iowa, the son of L.T. and Irene (Duea) Lewison. He graduated from New Hampton, Iowa, High School and continued his education at Waldorf College in Forest City. His education was interrupted by a two- year tour of duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He returned from service and continued his education at Luther College in Decorah, where he met his future bride, Verna. Paul and Verna McCaustland were married June 9, 1957, in Lime Springs, Iowa.

Paul began his teaching and coaching career at Greene, Iowa, for five years before the couple moved to Anamosa in 1962. He was the physical education and geography teacher at Anamosa High School. In 1968, he became the athletic director and later, assistant principal at Anamosa High School. During that time he also took 40 hours of graduate work at UNI and the University of Iowa. He retired from teaching in 1990, but not from working.

He worked for Life Investors and Von Maur in Cedar Rapids. Paul later worked for Citizens Bank in Anamosa.

He was a member of the America Legion and served on the selection committee for Boys State for 20 years. He also was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and served in many offices in the church. Paul was co-chairman of the Anamosa Ambulance Boosters and on the organizing committee of Anamosa Main Street USA. He volunteered with RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program), transporting Jones County seniors to out-of- town medical appointments, for which he received the Governor's Service Award from Gov. Branstad. He also volunteered at Jones County Regional Hospital.

As a teacher, he coached many different sports, both boys and girls. As an athletic director, he started Anamosa's girls' basketball, softball, track, golf, volleyball and cross country programs and the Academic Achievement Scholastic Awards program.

He was secretary-treasurer of the WaMac and Big Bend Conferences for 12 years, on the selection committee for the State Athletic Director of the Year for 10 years, and served four terms as district director for the Northeast Iowa District for IHSAA and also on the IHSADA Board of Directors.

Paul received the IHSADA President's Award, Outstanding Service Award in 1984-85 and the Iowa Athletic Director of the Year award in 1989. Paul was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 1991.

Paul's passions were his family, his church and his community. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, siblings and in-laws, going to music events, traveling and following his beloved Raiders, Hawkeyes and Cubs.