Don Leslie Lewis
Don Leslie Lewis, son of Archie and Sallie Lewis, passed away peacefully at Sweet Life of Rosehill on January 22, 2012.
Born February 4, 1937, Don came from a family of school teachers. He earned a BS in chemistry and an MS in physics, and for 35 years he taught math, chemistry and physics in several Texas high schools and at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Texas. Students remember him for his witty good humor and intelligence.
Survivors include his wife Waverly of Shawnee, Kansas; daughter Amy of Ventura, California; brother Hugh and his wife Hazel, Los Angeles, California; niece Sarah, San Antonio, Texas; and nephews, David and John and their families of Austin, Texas. Between Don and Waverly they have 7 nephews, 1 niece, 3 great-nieces and 8 great nephews.
A life-long Methodist, Don was a loving and compassionate husband, father, and friend. Since Don and Waverly recently moved from Bandera, Texas, a memorial service is planned in Bandera for early spring.
Visitation and Funeral Service
Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee. Funeral service will follow at 10:30 a.m. at the chapel with burial at Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens.
Memorial Contributions
Memorial donations may be made to the following:
Bandera United Methodist Church
P. O. Box 128
Bandera, Texas 78003
or
Pettus United Methodist Church
Drawer B
Pettus, Texas 78146
or
Odyssey Hospice
8735 Rosehill Road, Suite 200
Lenexa, Kansas 66215
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Waverly and Amy,
Sorry to hear about Don. He was a very interesting person to talk with. I was a student in his physics and chemistry classes at Bee County College, way back there. He tried so hard to teach me, but I just didn’t get it. He did have some good stories to tell. Eugene remembers hearing Don sing ‘Silent Night’ in German at the Pettus Church.
Our prayers are with you, both.
Love, Diana and Eugene
Dear Waverly, my thoughts and prayers are with you. It was my honor to have aided in Don’s care. I will remember you both always and know we will all meet again someday. Susan
Mrs. Lewis, so sorry for your loss, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.
Sorry to hear about Mr. Lewis. You and your family are in my prayers.
You take care Mrs. Lewis and God Bless You.
Waverly and Amy,
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
As a teenager and into young adulthood, Don spent many, many summer days with cousins at his Grandparent’s house in a tiny village in central Texas. I was one of those cousins and I remember we invented games, rode horses, swam in the Frio river, picked figs from a tree by the ditch and drew water from a shallow 40 foot well just outside the kitchen door. The house had been build of local stone in the 1850s and while updated with electricity by the 1940s, it wasn’t full of conveniences. As children, we played around the house or across the road in the pasture where sometimes a cow or two lived. Those were good times that I recall with great fondness.
Waverly, My thoughts are with you today. I know that you and Don were so close. Losing your partner is life changing. I will keep you in my prayers. When I see your pictures I always think of your creativity and Don’s scientific mind. A great collaboration of life. Love Glynis
Waverly,
My thoughts are with you and your family. I was so sad to see that Don had passed on. There is hardly a day goes by when I don’t think of him, or you, and the things that the two of you brought to my life. Don’s rye wit has been so missing here and your grace and imagination. Take good care, sweet friend.
Dear Waverly & Amy,
So sad to hear about Don. He was a special guy and held a special place at CBC as you both still do. He will be missed.
My heart goes out to you both,
Love, Jayne
Waverly, I was very sorry to hear of your loss. I think of you often as there is one of your art pieces over my head hear at work. It seems a bad week for us here at CBC as we lost Maria Salinas library retieree Monday and today is her funeral. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Sincerely, Rose
Mrs. Lewis, I don’t know you nor did I know your husband, but the loss of a loved one makes us all one family. I pray for God’s Love to see you through each day ahead.
Waverly,
My prayers are with you and your family. May God comfort and bless you in this trying time.
I’m very blessed to have known you both here at Coastal Bend College.
Love,
Roberta
Waverly and Amy,
Please accept my sincerest condolences at Don’s passing. Thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of loss.
I remember when I first met Don at Dairy Queen in Pettus and discovering that he was from Bandera and my grandmother’s, Effie Jane Strickland, neighbor. I have many great memories of our conversations while I lived in Pettus.
Sincerely,
Bernie Batto
Waverly and Amy, I’m so sorry for your loss. I have very fond and happy memories of you and Don. I think of you often. May God bless your family during this difficult time. Love you Waverly.
Waverly,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your husband was a amazing man and i just wanted to let you know that even though i only got to know him for such a short time that my huband jw and i enjoyed talking with you two. I understand how you must be feeling but he is in a better place in Gods kingdom. You are truly a wonderful and amazing women my heart and prayers go out to you. (hugs)
Mrs. Lewis,
My deepest heartfelt condolences go out to you and your family on having to let go of such a wonderful person in your lives. I have always had Mr. Lewis in my thoughts as I walked down the hallways in the Science Building as a student in his Physics class and still do today whenever I look at the door to the Physics Lab on the way to my office. To me, his presence in lecture was captivating, as I took down notes and wondered if I could ever understand even the simplest things as well as Mr. Lewis did. What I believed to be understanding would turn out to be another lesson on a totally different level and toned with a sense of humor that I didn’t quite recognize until after the fact. As a fellow faculty, I enjoyed asking him questions from time to time about his thoughts on a particular subject. Then I would sit down and enjoy the ride in visualizing every turn he had regarding his ideas on the roadmap to simplifying the situation. Mr. Lewis is still with me and everyone that his life has touched.
Take care,
Curt Villarreal
Mrs. Lewis and Amy,
I was saddened to hear of the news of Mr. Lewis’ passing. He was a unique individual here at CBC. Buddy told me he saw you (Mrs. Lewis) here at CBC a few years back. I hope and pray you are well inspite of this loss and I think of you often. Mrs. Lewis, you are in my thoughts and prayers because of your kindness and caring.
Love and God Bless You,
Cristela Flores
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I have many fond memories of his students discussing the various situations in his class and how much they had to think. I was a new experience for many of them. He was a valuable asset to CBC and he has never been replaced, though they tried.
Waverly,
My deepest condolences. You’re in my thoughts and prayers. Take care my dear friend.
Respectfully,
Agar Sanchez
Waverly–
Kay and I were so sorry to hear of Don’s passing. He was truly one of a kind, with a wry humor, keen intelligence, and lively curiosity that we will treasure forever, as will innumerable colleagues and thousands of former students.
I’ll never forget seeking him out with the oddest questions and always being taken seriously (or almost seriously), and treated with the same respect he had for everyone. I loved his sidelong glance, sly smile, and twinkling eyes as he wrapped his mind around whatever bizarre idea I set before him.
Please know we’re thinking of you and sending our warmest condolences.
Waverly and Amy,
I am so sad to learn of Don’s passing. He was a wonderful gentleman and I know you miss him greatly. I love the photo of him in the obituary. That sly grin of his frequently let me know his brilliant mind was thinking of something that would prove to be both intelligent and witty. Don was a important influence on our department and frequently challenged us to be our best.
With sympathy and friendship,
John Thomason
Dear Waverly , Amy and Family:
I am so sorry for your loss and please know that thoughts and prayers are with you.
Wanted to share this with permission from the student.. …a student who had Don for Physics came back to visit from A&M. He showed up with his huge physics book in hand. He was shaky, anxious, and petrified that he was failing which would end his scholarship and college career.
I encouraged him to go to Don’s office and ask him for help.
Two hours later, the student came back … and told me he finally “got it” and that Mr. Lewis took the time and helped him gained his confidence back..
Student is a civil engineer in Austin, TX.
I’m sure there are many stories like that one spanning Don’s teaching career.
I hope positive memories can bring comfort to your family at this difficult time.
With friendship and sincerity:
Patti Myers
P.S. Waverly, William and I really enjoy the wonderful paintings with poetry gave us when you retired. Thank you.
Waverly,
So sorry to hear about Don. You have our deepest sympathies. Our prayers will continue and you are always in our thoughts.
Rob and Marlys Etter
Waverly,
I was so sad to have learned of Don’s passing. I shall always remember him coming into the back workroom of my office working on the computer. We had many interesting discussions; I learned a lot from him. The discusions were indicative of his wit and intelligence and topped off with his ever-present grin. I shall always remember him as “the professor” who made a difference in so many student’s lives. He truly was a unique, kind and humble man. The poem, “Comes the Dawn” you wrote me , to this day, adorns the wall over my fire place. I shall send you a poem through the funeral chapel’s address and hope it be a spirce pf comfort. It is very difficult to lose the love of your life; I know you and Don were very close . May God grant you His peace and comfort and sustain in your pain, now and always. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
My deepest sympathy is extended to you and your family.
Love, Shirley
Sorry about Don’s passing. Hope your family is at peace. I really loved Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. They gave a lot to Bandera.
Mrs. Lewis, My deepest sympathies and condolences to you and your family. The circle in which Mr. Lewis has touched and expanded does and will forever grow in size. I was honored and privileged to have taken Physics I and II with him at Bee County College (now Coastal Bend College). I was heart broken to find out that Don Lewis has passed and went on to solve greater problems in heaven. I found out about this only because I wanted to show one of “my” current Calculus/ Physics students who was the major contribution to my studying mathematics and physics. I will always remember Mr. Lewis and his lab coat in class. He was a great thinker and I can not express how much he has meant to me and my career path over the years. You will be missed, but NEVER forgotten. I mention to my students all the time that the world needs more “Don Lewis’” in it so that we can always keep motivated and to stay hungry for science. I will always be grateful for igniting the physics spark in me that has lasted for over 20 years now. Rest in peace Mr. Lewis, May God keep you by his side. As Einstein once said: “God does not play dice with the world”, but Don did in class everyday and that is what I will remember! Thank you for your passion.