Lester “Pappy” Lewis, 100

Lester "Pappy" Lewis, 100, of Winchester, KY, formerly of Portsmouth, Ohio, passed away at the Veteran's Hospital in Lexington, KY, on March 23, 2016. He was born on October 12, 1915, to the late William Riley and Mary Lewis, in Lucille, KY. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 66 years, Menda Ison Lewis. He was also preceded in death by a daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and Clifford Toppins ; 4 brothers, Ray, Henry, Virgil, and Rulie; and 3 sisters, Hazel Lewis, Zora Partin, and Florence Smith.

He is survived by 2 brothers, Ballard (Nina) Lewis of Mt. Sterling, KY, and Jay (Jeanette) Lewis of Chillicothe, OH, and 2 sisters, Golda Conley  and Reba Blankenship, both of Sandy Hook, KY.  He is also survived by his children Wayne (Sue) Lewis of Hendersonville, TN; Brenda (Bob) Skaggs of Portsmouth; Judith (Jesse, deceased) Mills of Winchester, KY;  and stepson Leland Devon (Martha) Ison, Lucasville, Oh; 51 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Elva Lewis of Sandy Hook, KY; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Pappy was a WWII veteran -- October 1943 to January 1946 -- who served with the 562nd Engineers, 2nd Amphibious Engineer Brigade. He was in the Pacific Theater during the liberation of New Guinea and Southern Philippines (Leyte) where he was wounded. His awards included The Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with 2 Bronze Star; Good Conduct Medal; A Purple Heart; and the Victory Medal for WWII. Pappy had always been a gun enthusiast, so it was no surprise to see "Rifle Expert" listed on his discharge. He retired as an Auto Mechanic from Frank Teidge Ford in Portsmouth. He served as an Assistant Pastor at Mt. Zion Apostolic Church in West Portsmouth for several years. He touched many lives through the course of his ministry. He was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, an avid hunter and music enthusiast.

The family will receive visitors on Friday, March 25, at Mt. Zion Apostolic Church, 16th Street, West Portsmouth from 6 - 9 p.m. A celebration of life will held Saturday, March 26 and 11 a.m. at the Church. Elder Edward Messer, Elder Charles Adkins, (grandson) Bro. Jerry Mills, and others will officiate. Military rites will be performed by the James Dickey Post 23 American Legion. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Franklin Furnace, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38, KJV "Keep pressing on..." –Pappy Arrangements are under the direction of the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth. Condolences may be sent to www.rogerwdavisfuneralhome.com.

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