JAMES OTIS LEWIS, JR., beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend passed away peacefully on June 2, 2006. He was born on July 6, 1922 in Owensboro, Kentucky to the late James Otis Lewis, Sr. and Mary Shaw Lewis. He attended high school in Fulton, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1947 and a MS in Geology in 1949. From 1943-1947 he fought in WWII while serving in the US Navy. After graduation in 1949, he moved to Houston and worked for Magnolia Petroleum Company and P.R. Rutherford. In 1955, he started his own consulting practice, focusing on geology of the Gulf Coast and southwest Texas.
He was devoted to his profession and its associations. He was president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (1989-1990), the Houston Geological Society (1968-1969), and the Society of Independent Earth Scientists (1967-1968). He held Honorary Life Memberships in these organizations, received several Distinguished Service Awards, chaired numerous conventions, and remained involved in these organizations'' leadership throughout his life. He was preceded in death by his wife Gwinn McMahan Lewis and his sister Jane Haynes.
He is survived by his sons Blake and his wife Marianne, Emison, Calvin and his wife Louan, Sean and his wife Adrian, and Cannon and his wife Jennifer, his daughters Tara and her husband John Swords, Galin and her husband Steve Morgan, Disa and her husband George Lyon, Beryl and her husband Sam Gibson, and fourteen grandchildren. The greatest joys in Jim''s life were his wife Gwinn, his family, and sharing his knowledge of geology. He loved West Texas, traveling there often, and his weekend home in Washington County.
He was an avid pilot, handball player, and carpenter. A Memorial Reception will be held at his home on Thursday evening, June 8th, at 6:00 p.m. The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers. Memorials may be sent to the Friends of Big Bend National Park, the AAPG Foundation, or to the charity of your choice.
Published in the Houston Chronicle on 6/6/2006.