Joined: 11/30/07
Posts: 920
Location: Childress, Texas
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Guys, I had sent Dave an email about 2 weeks ago and never got a reply. As I stated in my earlier post in this thread I knew he was sick but had no idea how bad so I was beginning to fear the worst when this thread appeared. Tonight, Mary Lu responded to my email. Her response was very touching and she even included a copy of his obituary. He had requested not to have a public service so for fear of going against his wishes, I asked if she would mind if I posted it. She was very gracious in her reply and said she'd be happy for me to post it. She said that she wanted people to learn a little more about Dave and encourages everyone to read his journals. Also, she'd love to hear from any of us that has a particular story to tell. If you feel inclined to write her, PM me for her email address. David N. Lewis, 66, of Harrisonburg, husband of Mary Lu Stout Lewis,
died from pancreatic cancer on August 5, 2009.
David was born January 4, 1943 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he
lived until he was 21. He was preceded in death by his parents, Virginia Haines
Lewis and William M. Lewis, and his only sister, Isabelle Blose.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Lu Stout Lewis, his brother,
William M. Lewis, Jr., sister-in-law Lois and niece Mary Ellen;
brother-in-law, William A. Blose of Pittsburgh; niece Susan Blose Tomlinson,
husband Jim and sons Matthew and Daniel; niece Virginia Blose Ellwood,
husband Jim, their son David, his wife Andrea, and daughter Amelia; and their
daughter Heather Dalle-Tezze, husband Jeremy and son Vincent. David is also
survived by his mother-in-law Mary Stout, brother-in-law Francis Stout, sistersin-
law Nancy Pyle, Becky McCaskey, and Jamie Stout.
At David's request, there will be no public services.
A personal reflection from his wife Mary Lu:
I would like you to know a little bit about the essence of the man whom I
have shared my adult life with.
We met when I was 16 and he 20. We married two years later, after he
graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. He started his teaching career at
Montevideo High School as I started to school at Madison College. Four years
later I joined the staff at Montevideo teaching art. We developed strong lasting
bonds with the faculty and students in those early years. David directed the
student plays there for many years, always had great fun interacting with the
students throughout his entire career and learned many important life lessons.
As a little kid growing up in Pennsylvania, David had the good fortune to
have a teenage brother willing to take a little boy along fishing from an early
age. In the late 1940's most people kept the fish, which they caught on worms
and spinners. Pennsylvania was one of the first areas to have streams
designated catch-and-release. David and his brother soon transitioned to fly
fishing and relished the idea of returning the native trout to their sparkling
habitat.
David was a natural born engineer, having an instinct for designing and
making things. In his early teens he made his first fly rod, which he perfected
over the years. After 22 years of teaching, he started his business, Performance
Fly Rods, selling his custom fly rods at fly fishing shows on the east coast and
through his web site.
Montana has always been a trout fisherman's Mecca. David's first twoweek
adventure there in the early 1980's turned into a long-lasting love affair
with the beauty of the state and the native trout species that live there. His
early competitive desire to catch fish transitioned into a desire to meld with the
beauty of his favorite isolated haunts and a reverence for the beauty of the
different species he caught.
David always had many hobbies and interests. In his early teens he
became fascinated with photography, setting up his own dark room and
developing his own photographs. Photography continued to be an important part
of his life. Many years ago he started photographing the special places he
fished and the beautiful fish he caught. When he started his business and the
age of computers dawned, he designed his own web site, Performanceflyrods.com.
He eventually started to combine his photographs with his extensive writing.
Many of his special photo journals can be viewed on his
web site: http://www.performanceflyrods.com/journals.html .
David has always had tremendous energy and vitality and every day was
full of energetic work or play. With his cancer diagnosis in November came a
resolve to keep on doing the things he loved. He eschewed the commonly held
refrain of "fighting cancer". He felt his last year should be in pursuit of the
peaceful everyday activities that brought meaning to his life. He continued to
build fly rods all winter and into spring. He then had a number of ideas for
photo journals he wanted to complete this spring. At times with great difficulty,
he was able to finish those journals.
I have been blessed to have been so well loved and respected by a
partner who met life with passion and resolve. We are presented with many
challenges in life. We define ourselves by our response to them. How David dealt
with this final challenge was an inspiration and gift to me and I am sure to
others.
I will share some of his thoughts this year, "I look forward to life as it comes
to me and feel blessed at every turn. I never go fishing with a sunset expected at the end of the
day, but I'm pleased if there happens to be one. I just take it as it is handed to me. I figure if you
keep chasing those sunsets and rainbows, you'll always be ten steps ahead of what you missed
along the way.
Perpetual optimism drives me to thinking Mary Lu will enjoy healing and peace in her
remaining years. The little bit of time I have left surely engages the same optimism. I fully intend
to enjoy every minute of it. I intend to be as productive as I've ever been. I've enjoyed perhaps
more rewarding personal contacts than I ever have before. I've encountered a peace and
tranquility in facing death that I never knew possible. The feelings of completion are almost
overwhelming. I know how truly fortunate I am to be able to move on without any regrets
I don't believe you leave your soul behind, you rather carry along the spirits of all you
have come to know in your brief span here to your death and beyond, perhaps.comfort is
knowing you have been a part of all you have known and the assurance that you have done your
best by it all. I have no regrets, no losses, no empty passages of time, only warmth and love for it
all as I move on to my final wanderings.
There just seems an overwhelming warmth that descends on you when you are
surrounded by folks who care, with long term and long distance friends who have you in their
thoughts and carry you along as part of their soul. I have my best friend with me and my cat
and chickens and no need to chase after anything unrealistic. I think I'm pretty lucky."
I would like to express my undying appreciation to our whole Hospice team,
without whom this year would not have been possible, and to our special
angels, Joy Kanagy and Julia Patterson. Many thanks also to Doctors Robinson,
Duelge, Urbanski, Witt, Vest, and Huffman; all the kind staff at the cancer
center; the sweet caring nurses, sitters and staff at Rockingham Memorial
Hospital; the kindness and generosity of neighbors, friends, and family.
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Posted: 06 Aug 2009, 12:33 • 
Sad to know he has passed on..