John DeWitt Lewis, formerly of Tiffin and Findlay, Ohio passed away December 24, 2009. The Lewis family has donated an American flag to Barnesville High School in memory of DeWitt and to honor his many accomplishments as an athlete, military veteran and a Barnesville native. The flag was placed in the high school gymnasium in May.
He was the son of the late H. Carl and Burdella McConnell Lewis and one of six children (Harvey Lewis, Helen Detling, Dorothy Lewis, Carl Lewis and Betty Buscaglia). He was preceded in death by two sisters (Dorothy and Betty).
DeWitt was a 1955 graduate of Barnesville High School and was an outstanding athlete at BHS, participating in football, basketball, wrestling and baseball. Hew was the first BHS athlete to earn four varsity letters in one school year. He also won the Missouri Valley heavyweight wrestling championship in 1957.
On Sunday, July 25, 2010, during the Ohio-W.Va. All-Star football game, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference honored Lewis among those who participated in the 1953, 1954 and 1955 games.
The Ohio team won that 1955 game with a score of 31 to 20, the highest in the game's 13-year history at that point.
"We are real proud that he played that game," said his sister, Helen Detling.
Lewis earned a college scholarship to play football at Kansas University and enjoyed a successful athletic career at KU. While on the team there, the versatile DeWitt played many different positions.
DeWitt earned a degree in mechanical engineering and was involved in the ROTC program. He married Gwen Shepherd in 1959 and they had three children (Coleen Kiesel, Deanna Parkhurst and Clay Lewis).
After graduating from Kansas University, DeWitt joined the Army Transportation Corp. as a 2nd Lieutenant. While serving in the Army he completed parachute jump school and helicopter pilot training. He was stationed in Hawaii and served a year tour in Vietnam, flying missions in support of the Special Forces. Following his tour of duty in Vietnam, DeWitt was assigned to Fort Belvoir, Va. His duties at Fort Belvoir were flying Pentagon officials to various points. He received an Air Medal and five Oak Leaf Clusters prior to being discharged as a Captain.
Following his military service De Witt and his family moved to Tiffin and he joined the National Machinery Company as an engineer in 1964. During his professional career DeWitt and his family spent five years in Nuremberg, Germany and two years in Rockford, Ill. Later in his career, he worked in data processing, retiring from the National Machinery Company in 1997.
In retirement DeWitt enjoyed spending more time with his family, especially his nine grandchildren. His hobbies included purchasing and assembling a helicopter kit he had hoped to fly at low level over the major rivers of the United States. His other interests included world traveling, RVing, photography, computers and genealogy.
Cathryn Stanley/Barnesville Enterprise
Pictured in front of an American flag donated to Barnesville High School in memory of DeWitt Lewis, 1955 BHS graduate and athlete are his family seated (l-r): Jonathan Matthew Parkhurst, Rebecca Parkhurst, Bethany Parkhurst, Deanna Parkhurst (daughter), Coleen Kiesel (daughter), Gwen Lewis (widow), Kelly Lewis and Clay Lewis (son).
His extended family standing (l-r): Carlene Davis, Kevin Lewis, Jita Knox, Jeff Lewis, Bonnie Lewis, Carl Lee Lewis, Lou Ann Swallie, Marla Kent, Helen Detling, Hollie Detling, Billie Jean Lewis and Sharon Lewis.
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