Donald James Lewis passed away peacefully in the early morning hours, Wednesday, October 20, 2021. He was with, and is survived by his wife, of 71 years Ruth P. Lewis. He has joined his Savior in eternal life.

A dedicated father to sons, Walter Lewis (Maureen) and Raymond Lewis (Carol Knight) and daughters Paula Morris (Wayne) and Diane Lewis (Will Jacobs). Donald was preceded in death by his parents, Alec and Leola Lewis and two sisters, Shirley and Margaret. Additional family members who will miss his presence include grandchildren, Elyse Morris, Hannah Lewis (Jacob Barish), Emma Jacobs, and Bryce Jacobs.

Born, December 8, 1922, Donald grew up self-reliant and with a zest for learning.  He lived out the true meaning of the Samuel Johnson quote that "curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last."  A modern Renaissance man, there were countless subjects and endeavors that he was both, skilled at and passionate about.

During his youth, to earn money in the Great Depression, he taught himself how to trap muskrats for their valuable furs. Learning advanced carpentry skills from his father, Donald single handedly constructed an Amish style barn garage and a wooden Chris Craft style boat, aptly christened the RuDon, in his spare time!

Don joined Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Abington in 1955. As a long-time member, he served the church and the community in a variety of roles.

After earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University, Donald had a distinguished career at the Philadelphia Arsenal in NE Philadelphia, where he specialized in optical design, fire control and pilot seat ejection technology.

Later he became passionate about and talented at a multitude of activities, including anything automotive, watercolor artistry, gardening, fly fishing, bird watching and animal tracking. After retirement, he dove head-first into sailing and golf, two passions that he would pursue for decades. Elected Commodore of the Red Dragon Sailing and Canoe Club in N.J., he loved organizing and competing in numerous sailing regattas.  Comparable to how he lived his life, on the golf course he enjoyed good fellowship, was a master at hitting the ball straight, avoiding hazards, and thinking his way around the links.

Donald would be the first to tell one that he enjoyed a most fortuitous and very eventful life.  However, his life's timeline reached a defining moment during WWII. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he answered his country's call and enlisted in the Army Air Corps.  Quickly advancing to rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, he was assigned to a B-17 bomber squadron.  He flew his missions from a base in Tunisia, N. Africa.  Later advancing to an air base in Foggia, Italy and returning to base after his 13 ^th mission, Donald's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and fighter planes.  Exploding mid-air over northern Italy, his B-17 went into a death spiral and Donald felt his life was over a mere week into his 21 ^st year on December 13, 1943.  Miraculously saved by his parachute, his wits, and forgiving branches of a large evergreen tree, he was badly injured, captured and survived the final 17 months of the war in a POW camp.

Granted a new lease on life, he would later give back by volunteering as a VA Service Officer. In that role, he guided former veterans and their loved ones through the maze of requirements necessary to receive their well-deserved benefits.

As a father, husband, grandfather and dear friend to many, he will be greatly missed.  But, in his nearly 99 years of life, he had few, if any regrets.  He felt that being able to grow old was a privilege and he never forgot that he was very lucky to have done so.

A visitation with family is planned for Saturday, October 30, 2021 from 10am to 11am.  The visitation will be at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2086 Parkview Ave, Abington, PA with a service to follow at 11am. Burial will take place at Whitemarsh Memorial Park.

Due to Covid-19 we are requesting that all wear face masks and social distance to keep those attending safe.

In lieu of flowers, donations, in his memory, can be made to the American Ex-Prisoners of War Organization, a non-profit advocating for ex-POWs and their families at www.axpow.org or Guardian Grange, a veteran powered regenerative agriculture and healing network at www.guardiangrange.org .

Arrangements by: Anders-Detweiler Funeral Home & Crematory, 130 East Broad Street, Souderton, Pennsylvania 18964. To send online condolences to the family, visit www.andersfh.com