Obituary for William Alan "Bill" Lewis
William Alan Lewis (Bill), age 51, of Cheshire MA, passed away peacefully on April 7, 2022 at Berkshire Medical Center.
Bill was the loving son of Harry and Josie Lewis, caring husband of Gloria Lewis, and devoted father of Robin (Jonathan) Lewis, and was the most special person to his Harry Dog, all of Cheshire.
Bill was a 1989 honors graduate of Hoosac Valley High School. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical Engineering University Florida on a full Army ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1993 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Commercial Pilots License. After graduation, he served in the US Army until 1998 as a captain. He was deployed to Guantanamo Bay and Somalia, and also proudly served as a General’s Aid at Picatinny Arsenal.
While working at GE Healthcare in Waukesha WI, he met his wife Gloria and they married in 2001. They chose to relocate to the Berkshires in 2002 to be with his extended family and to start a family of their own. He joined the family business Harrys Auto Sales in Cheshire, and the business has thrived under his leadership.
Bill loved hunting, fishing, boating, golfing, climbing and especially flying. In addition to serving the nation in the Army, he also served his local community as a member of the Cheshire Fire Department as a firefighter and an EMT, and more recently became Harbormaster for the Cheshire Police Department. He was very involved with the North Adams Harriman Airport, where he had learned to fly with Pete Esposito and earned his Private Pilot License at 16 years old.
In addition to his parents, wife and daughter, he leaves behind maternal aunts and uncles, Rose McDonald, Adolph Rosier and his wife Pat, Richard Rosier and Dawn, Linda Kelly and Avis Merrill and her husband Mike; paternal uncles Charles Lewis and his wife Barbara and Robert Lewis; brothers-in-law, Russ Jacobs and his wife Laurette and Roger Jacobs and his wife Debbie; sisters-in-law Mary Luttermoser, Ellen Clark, Jeanne Dobie and her husband Steve, and Jill Fielder and her husband Phil, and countless family members and friends.
Bill is preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Edwin and Dorothy Jacobs, and his beloved rescue dog, Rufus.
FUNERAL NOTICE: A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held, TUESDAY, April 12, 2022 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Cheshire, celebrated by Rev. William Cyr. Burial will be held at a later date in Cheshire Cemetery. Calling hours will be held MONDAY April 11, 2022 from 4 to 7 p.m. at DERY-CHESHIRE FUNERAL HOME in Cheshire, MA.
In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations to the Cheshire Fire Department or to St. Mary of the Assumption Church in care of the funeral home, PO Box 445, Cheshire.
Bill was the loving son of Harry and Josie Lewis, caring husband of Gloria Lewis, and devoted father of Robin (Jonathan) Lewis, and was the most special person to his Harry Dog, all of Cheshire.
Bill was a 1989 honors graduate of Hoosac Valley High School. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical Engineering University Florida on a full Army ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1993 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Commercial Pilots License. After graduation, he served in the US Army until 1998 as a captain. He was deployed to Guantanamo Bay and Somalia, and also proudly served as a General’s Aid at Picatinny Arsenal.
While working at GE Healthcare in Waukesha WI, he met his wife Gloria and they married in 2001. They chose to relocate to the Berkshires in 2002 to be with his extended family and to start a family of their own. He joined the family business Harrys Auto Sales in Cheshire, and the business has thrived under his leadership.
Bill loved hunting, fishing, boating, golfing, climbing and especially flying. In addition to serving the nation in the Army, he also served his local community as a member of the Cheshire Fire Department as a firefighter and an EMT, and more recently became Harbormaster for the Cheshire Police Department. He was very involved with the North Adams Harriman Airport, where he had learned to fly with Pete Esposito and earned his Private Pilot License at 16 years old.
In addition to his parents, wife and daughter, he leaves behind maternal aunts and uncles, Rose McDonald, Adolph Rosier and his wife Pat, Richard Rosier and Dawn, Linda Kelly and Avis Merrill and her husband Mike; paternal uncles Charles Lewis and his wife Barbara and Robert Lewis; brothers-in-law, Russ Jacobs and his wife Laurette and Roger Jacobs and his wife Debbie; sisters-in-law Mary Luttermoser, Ellen Clark, Jeanne Dobie and her husband Steve, and Jill Fielder and her husband Phil, and countless family members and friends.
Bill is preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Edwin and Dorothy Jacobs, and his beloved rescue dog, Rufus.
FUNERAL NOTICE: A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held, TUESDAY, April 12, 2022 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Cheshire, celebrated by Rev. William Cyr. Burial will be held at a later date in Cheshire Cemetery. Calling hours will be held MONDAY April 11, 2022 from 4 to 7 p.m. at DERY-CHESHIRE FUNERAL HOME in Cheshire, MA.
In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations to the Cheshire Fire Department or to St. Mary of the Assumption Church in care of the funeral home, PO Box 445, Cheshire.