Lewis Sinclair knew truth and justice weren't always the American way. He committed himself to changing that.

Mr. Sinclair, an economist with the Tennessee Valley Authority who retired to Atlanta, was a familiar presence at protests against the death penalty and violations of any human right. He was arrested and jailed but never tried, said his wife, Mary Brown Sinclair, of Atlanta.

Highlander Center photo (ENLARGE)

Lewis Sinclair dedicated his life to helping those whose rights were violated and made trips such as one to meet with activists in Nicaragua in 1988. Mr. Sinclair served with the Southern Center for Human Rights, American Civil Liberties Union and the Highlander Research and Education Center.

He was on the boards of the Southern Center for Human Rights, American Civil Liberties Union and the Highlander Research and Education Center. He assisted lawyers in protecting the rights of poor defendants in death-penalty cases. He served the needy through the Open Door Community and the Emmaus House Poverty Rights office.

"He had a tremendous sense of fair play and justice," said Palmer Singleton of Atlanta, a lawyer who worked death-penalty cases with Mr. Sinclair. "Lewis was fearless. There is no situation, no person that I think Lewis would back down from."

"There was no cause too unpopular for that guy," Mr. Singleton said.

Lewis Stewart Sinclair, 93, of Atlanta died Sunday at Emory University Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial service will be 5 p.m. Sunday at First Iconium Baptist Church. Brown & Young Home of Funerals is in charge of arrangements.

"He cared a lot about people on the margins, people who are poor, people who are in prison or are discriminated against for any reason," Ms. Sinclair said.

Since 1959, Mr. Sinclair had been a board member of the Highlander Center in New Market, Tenn. Highlander, created in 1932, is famous as a school for social change. Its goal is to help people without political power define their problems and begin to solve them. One student was Rosa Parks, a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement.

During one of Highlander's troubled times, it was Mr. Sinclair who brought it much-needed credibility, said Candie Carawan of New Market. She has been a part of Highlander since 1961.

Over 50 years, Mr. Sinclair challenged Highlander's workshop participants and staff to stay relevant. "At some very crucial moments, he was able to raise very important questions," Ms. Carawan said. "He helped us see when the old tried and true wasn't working."

In death-penalty cases, assisted by the Southern Center for Human Rights, Mr. Sinclair would interview witnesses and prepare them to testify, make sure the defendant's family was taken care of and provide any practical assistance the lawyers needed, Mr. Singleton said.

"He had good eyes. He could sense hostile situations and diffuse the hostility," Mr. Singleton said. "His collective wisdom over time was remarkable."

"You need two things to do this work, a sense of outrage and a sense of humor, and Lewis had both in abundance," said Stephen Bright of Atlanta, senior counsel for the Southern Center for Human Rights. "He never let us take ourselves too seriously. He raised our spirits on countless occasions."

Mr. Sinclair was quick to point out the irony, hypocrisy or absurdity of a person or situation, Mr. Bright said. The mood was festive when Mr. Sinclair poured himself a gin and tonic and cooked up a pot of his famous gumbo for his colleagues. He was the first to break into song and loved to dance.

He catered to his wife's vegetarian diet and prepared special dishes for her. "He knew how to season," Ms. Sinclair said. "He could fix collards so people couldn't believe they didn't have any fatback in them."

Ms. Carawan said, "A lot of people who do work on hard, pressing issues are grumpy. Lewis kept his sense of humor. He knew how to enjoy life and get the most out of it."

Other survivors include a son, James Edwin Sinclair of Lithonia; a sister, Connie Sinclair of Fort Smith, Ark.; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.