NEWBURY TWP. – Harold Lewis, known to his friends as “Hal,” passed away on Jan. 25, 2019, at the age of 98 years.
Harold was born Jan. 23, 1921, and raised in Northeast Ohio, and after serving as a B-17 tail gunner in World War II, settled in Newbury Township, where for the next 40 years, he and his wife Maxine raised their three children, Dennis, Dale and Debbie.
Harold and Maxine then traveled the U.S.A. for the next six years before deciding to live in Sunflower Resort located in Surprise, Ariz. Maxine died in 2005 and Harold remained in Arizona for 13 more years, after which he moved to California to be with his family during the last three months of his life.
Harold saw combat action during World War II while flying with the 447th Bomber Group out of Rattlesden Air Base in Southeast England. He flew 27 bombing missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Bronze Leaf Clusters, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal with one Bronze Star and a Good Conduct Medal.
After returning home, he resumed his job with Thompson Products (later known as TRW) in Cleveland and retired in 1983.
Harold was an avid golfer and had a “hole-in-one” to his credit. He also enjoyed sailing, snowmobiling and baseball.
He was an ardent Arizona Diamondbacks baseball fan, but still wore a Cleveland Indians shirt when the Indians came to Surprise, Ariz., for spring training.
Harold was preceded in death by his wife, Maxine, in 2005; and son Dale in 2009.
He is survived by his son Dennis (Frances); daughter, Deborah (Raymond); and two grandsons and three great-grandsons.
Interment will be at Riverside California National Cemetery.