Obituary of James Stephen Lewis

James Stephen “Steve” Lewis, 77, of Columbia, South Carolina passed away May 14, 2018 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on February 7, 1941 in Xenia, Ohio to the late Russell and Anna Hadley Lewis.  Steve thrived in his Quaker heritage, a 21 yr. member of Shandon Baptist, faithfully serving as an usher and on missions. He graduated from Xenia HS and attended Wilmington College before joining the US Navy. Upon his return from duty in Guam, he was employed by Commercial Credit where he met his one true love, Shelbie Walter.  They were married in 1966 and later, the proud father of three children. His career in manufacturing started with Buckeye Tools in Dayton, OH. The family moved several times, living in Columbia, Bellefontaine, OH, Green Bay, and returning “home” to Columbia with Rockwell Int’l in 1985. He retired after 35 years having worked in numerous positions. Shelbie and he traveled to over 35 countries and 5 continents, making the most of their golden years, marking off many interesting and historic locations from their bucket list.  Steve was an avid collector of antiques, and an ardent fan of the Cincinnati Reds and The Gamecocks; reading and memorizing statistics on his favorite teams and players. He and close friend, Norman Paige, enjoyed the camaraderie of many other tailgate fans at hundreds of games.

Steve is survived by his cherished wife of almost 52 years, Shelbie; his loving children, Jim Lewis (Joyce), Teresa Mancuso (Archpriest Mark) and Jennifer Smith (Blake); his nine treasured grandchildren, Rose, Ella, Margaret, Max, Mark, Stephen, Anna Ruth, Hadley and Blake; great-granddaughter, Penelope; his beloved siblings, Margaret Katterheinrich (Ned) and Larry Lewis (Margee); his sister-in-law, Patricia; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. Steve with his unique wit and humor will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Springfield Friends Meeting in Wilmington, OH, 1453 Hale Rd. Wilmington, OH 45177 or St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Building Fund, 1615 Shull St. West Columbia, SC 29169.

Service will be at Shandon Baptist Church, 5250 Forest Dr, Columbia, SC 29206 at 11:30 AM on Friday, May 18, 2018.  A private interment will be held in Fort Jackson National Cemetery.