Major C. H. Lewis, Jr

Major C. H. ?Mike? Lewis, Jr., 85, of Hillsboro died May 23, 2007 at his residence. Born October 28, 1921 in Shelbyville, TN, Major Lewis was the son of Claude H., Sr., a Baptist minister, and Laviria Yancey Lewis, a school teacher. Attending Middle Tennessee State Teachers College when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, Major Lewis started his military career in naval flight training. He then transferred to the Marine Air Group where he spent the next 21 years flying corsairs, B-52 bombers, and helicopters. Major Lewis served in the Pacific Theater in WWII, followed by tours of duty in Korea, and, finally, Vietnam before retirement in 1963. Upon retirement from the USMC, Major Lewis continued his education, obtaining his Masters Degree from Texas A&M at Kingsville. Major Lewis spent the next 20 years teaching. Major Lewis ended his second career as the Dean of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. After his second retirement, he and his wife moved to the Hill Country where he served as a substitute teacher, volunteer for the fire department, and Deacon at the Frio Canyon Baptist Church, member of First Baptist Church in Hillsboro, past master of San Benito Masonic Lodge #1064, charter member of the Al Amin Temple of the Shriners in Corpus Christi, member of the National Sojourners, MMOA Foreign Wars, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corp. League, and Phi Delta Kappa. He had 50 years of service with Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rite in Texas and Florida. Preceding him in death were his parents; Sylvia, his wife of 63 years; and one daughter, Nancy Lewis Yudesis. Survivors include his daughters, Ivel Sylvia Moore and Melissa Lewis Young and husband, David, all of Hillsboro; two sisters, Jayne Lewis Bernard of Memphis, TN and Barbara Westlake of Pegram, TN; son-in-law, Ben Yudesis fo San Benito, TX; grandchildren, Leigh Wilson and husband, Shaun, of Lafayette, LA, Chris Moore and wife, Becky, of Tulsa, OK, Mike Moore and wife, Savannah, of OK, Jim Moore and wife, Lisa, of OK, Michele Tigelaar and husband, Brian, of Albuquerque, NM, Deborah Lozano of Hillsboro, Larry Phillips and wife, Irene, Mission, TX; 12 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild. Memorials may be made to the Marine Military Academy; Frio Canyon Baptist Church in Leakey, TX; St. Jude?s Children?s Hospital; or Scottish Rite Children?s Hospital.