Herby Fred Lewis, called “Fred” by his many friends, was born at home in Olney, TX, April 13, 1935. His parents, Herbert Penticost Lewis and Ruth Alvey Lewis, brother William Robert and sisters Georgia Carol Byrns and Judith Alice Lee Lewis preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife Ruth Graves Lewis, daughter Lynda Lee Lewis, step-daughter Jennifer Fike Whitbey (David), grandsons David and Matthew Whitbey and great-grandsons Jacob and Aaron Whitbey.
Growing up on an oil lease in Olney Fred enjoyed fishing and hunting, after the chores were done, of course. His creative mind led to many ideas for making life easier around the house and perhaps got him into a bit of trouble from time to time as a youngster.
Fred served in the US Air Force from age 18 until November, 1964, at which time he settled in Taft, CA where he was employed by Golden State Telephone. As Golden State Tel changed to Continental Telephone, (Contel), Fred advanced from Lineman to licensed Electronic Technician, installing portable car phones that filled the trunk and were much heavier than today’s cell phones.
He lived life with great zest; enjoyed traveling in his motor home and riding his motorcycle to Arizona and Texas “for the fun of it”. He was generous and compassionate, with a strong sense of family and loyal to a fault. Though his passing has left a hole in our lives, we will always cherish the memory of good times with him in our hearts.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2015 from 11 am to 2 pm at the VFW Hall at 5350 So. Union Avenue, Bakersfield, CA.
We would like to thank Hoffman Hospice for the compassionate care of Fred and his family during his last illness. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Hoffman Hospice, 8501 Brimhall Road, Bldg 100, Bakersfield, CA 93312 or the Wounded Warrior Project.
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