John Allen Lewis Sr., 84: Architect and Boy Scouts leader

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

John Lewis often took trips to Jacksonville to visit his youngest daughter.

For him, it was a trip down memory lane, back to the days when he was a Boy Scout who partook in club activities such as sailing on the St. Johns River.

No matter where the family lived, Mr. Lewis got involved with the Scouts. He was a Scoutmaster in Albany, served on the Archiocese of Atlanta Catholic Committee on Scouting and was a member of the DeKalb County executive committee for the Eagle Scout review board.

In DeKalb County, Mr. Lewis organized Troop 777 out of Corpus Cristi Catholic Church in Stone Mountain.

No wonder he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the council-level distinguished award of the Boy Scouts of America.

In Albany, boys with diverse backgrounds belonged to the troop at St. Teresa's Catholic Church. Mr. Lewis' son, John Allen Lewis, Jr. of Suwanee, was a Scout at the time.

"We got a lot out it, and he helped all those boys," his son said. "It gave us a real sense of community. Dad had a zest and enthusiastic approach to life and the many interests he had. But he always told us the most important thing was family, and that's what I will remember him for."

On Tuesday, John Allen Lewis Sr. of Stone Mountain died from complications of prostate cancer at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was 84. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. todayat Thomas More Catholic Church in downtown Decatur. The family asks that donations be made to buildinghomesforheroes.com. A.S. Turner & Sons is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Lewis was a native Atlantan who moved to Jacksonville with his family. After graduation from Robert E. Lee High, he enlisted in the Army. He was captured in Germany and spent three months as a prisoner of war.

After the service, Mr. Lewis attended the University of Florida, where he met Norma, his wife of 54 years, and graduated from the School of Architecture. The couple spent about two decades in Albany, then returned to Atlanta in 1971. Here, he joined the architectural firm of Toombs, Amisano and Wells as vice president.

"He was an artist," his son said, "and I think he loved the beauty of architecture. He  was very well-read in history and science, and had a rich love for all things."

One of those things was gardening. Both Mr. Lewis and his wife, Norma, were master gardeners. She died in 2006.

When it came to the Scouts, Mr. Lewis served because he wanted to teach, explain and demonstrate," said a daughter, Lisa Lewis Wright of  Covington.

"He was definitely a nurturer," she said. "We could see that with our friends, but mostly in the Scouts. I was a Girl Scout till I was a senior in high school. I stayed in it and dedicated myself to it that long because of the encouragement I got from him."

Additional survivors include two other daughters, Laura Olivia Lewis of Suwanee and Aimee Caroline Lewis of Jacksonville, Fla.; a brother, Oliver Kenneth Lewis Jr. of Lawrenceville; and four grandchildren.