George K. Lewis—much-loved husband, father, grandfather, teacher, and friend—died on May 14th.
A lifelong resident of Wayland, George met Shirley Peakes in high school and married her on New Year’s Eve in 1942, while attending Harvard and right before shipping out to the Pacific Theater of World War II. He served there as a lieutenant with the U.S. Navy Seabees. They had three children: Martha, Pamela, and Peter. Shirley died in 2003. He then moved to Carlton Willard Village in Bedford, where he continued to enjoy an active and fulfilling life.
George earned his doctorate in geography from Harvard and spent the next thirty-five years teaching the beauty and meaning of place to his students at Boston University, earning the sobriquet “Mr. Boston.”
At home, he was “Mr. Wayland,” a three-term selectman, co-founding environmentalist of the Sudbury Valley Trustees, joyfully dedicated member of the Unitarian Church congregation, and proud emissary of the town’s Historical Society, drawing from its archives to produce the book “Wayland: Images of America.” His more personal “Growing Up in Wayland” was locally acclaimed and gave pleasure to many readers.
He is survived by his children and their spouses, John Thorne, Fred Sway, and Shelley Boris, and his grandchildren: Brian Sway, Hank Sway, Ike Sway, Matt Lewis, and Phillip Lewis.
At the request of the family, there will be no visiting hours and burial will be private in the Lewis family lot in North Cemetery in Wayland.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 1:30 pm at First Parish in Wayland, 50 Cochituate Road, Wayland Center.
Instead of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Sudbury Valley Trustees, 18 Wolbach Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of Wayland. For online condolences, please visit www.johncbryantfuneralhome.com.