Obituary: Lewis, Thomas J., Jr.
Age 84
He was born on May 22, 1929 in Punxsutawney, PA to Thomas and Alverda (Eckman) Lewis.
He grew up in Pennsylvania around Indiana and Brush Valley, and for a time he worked in his father’s coal mine.
After a stint in the Army, he met his partner in adventure, Marcella Gatskie, at Kerr’s Diner in Homer City in 1953.
They moved to California on their honeymoon in 1954, with a brief and not so pleasant visit to Pikes Peak (Marcella did not do well at that altitude).
After many travels across the U.S., Canada, and even twice to Alaska before the Alcan Highway was paved, the family moved to Spokane.
With his family, including his best friend and brother John, and friends throughout his life he enjoyed fishing, camping, and boating.
After retiring from Keytronics, he created many wooden scroll saw boxes, pictures, and shelves that we all treasure today.
He loved having his family at the house where we spent a lot of time telling stories of our adventures in life and travels.
Tom is survived by his wife, Marcella; sons, Thomas (Lisa) Lewis, Christopher (Audrey) Lewis, Jeffrey (Nancy) Lewis; and daughter, Patricia Lewis.
He is also survived by his grandchildren, Amy, Nicole, Crystal, Nathan, and Amber; and great-granddaughters, Azlyn and Alanna; his sisters, Viv (Jim) Vanos and Jan (Glenn) McNutt.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, John; sisters, Mary, Margaret, and Frances.
A gathering for remembrance and stories will be held in September.
COMMUNITY CREMATION AND FUNERAL SPOKANE VALLEY 13127 E. Sprague, Spokane Valley, WA 99216 509-926-2020 www.CommunityCremationandFuneral.com