Obituary of Howard Lewis

Howard D. Lewis, a long-time resident of Colonie Village, died on November 6th at the age of 88. Born in Brookline, MA on March 30, 1928, Howard was the son of Alexander H. Lewis and Sylvia I Davison, the husband of Frances R. Offricht (for the last 55 1/2 years!), the father of Alexander, Erica, and Jesse Lewis, and the grandfather of Lindsey, Matthew, and SFC Lewis. Howard had one sibling, Marjorie Nelson, who died earlier this year. Howard was a man of integrity, humor, and compassion, with a deep appreciation for books, films, and music. As a kid growing up in Boston, he loved the ten-cent movie theater, the Swan Boats, Bailey’s hot fudge sundaes, dripping over with marshmallow, and of course the Boston Red Sox — he even tried out for the team during one of their “local talent” searches. After graduating from high school, Howard enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Japan. He was later named a national aide-de-camp by the VFW. As a civic-minded individual, Howard took great pride in serving his country and entertaining his family with tales of his Service. On discharge from the Service, Howard continued his education, receiving his BS in Journalism from Suffolk University, with graduate work in the humanities at Boston University. Shortly thereafter, he entered his much-loved profession, writing for small newspapers in Nebraska and Illinois, and then joining the staff of the Albany Knickerbocker News. He was elected President of the Newspaper Guild of Albany in January, 1965. Howard was also involved with many civic and social activities — he was an asset to any group in which he participated. In addition to his many performances in community theatre productions, Howard played on a men’s volleyball team and a tennis foursome, was a volunteer firefighter with the Colonie Village Fire Department, served as President of the Temple Beth Emeth Brotherhood, and played a mean game of bridge. Howard touched countless lives through his work, his play, and his family. His absence will be felt every day. A memorial service celebrating Howard’s life will be held at 7pm on Sunday, November 13th in the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Avenue, Albany. To share a memory or leave a condolence message for the family, or to make a donation in lieu of flowers, please visit Howard’s memorial page at http://www.projectee.org/pickle-press.html The family would also like to extend its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Lamilla Latuda, whose special blend of humor, strength, and understanding became the perfect recipe for providing laughter, love, and comfort during the toughest of times