William Lewis Obituary

William J. Lewis Sandpoint, ID - William "Bill" Lewis, 78, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2024 at Valley Vista Memory Care in Sandpoint, Idaho. Bill was born on July 28, 1945 in Schenectady, New York, the son of Edward O. Lewis and Mildred Hildebrand Lewis.
He is survived by his wife Mary Poole Lewis, daughter Jennifer Lewis Westervelt, her husband Brian Westervelt, and granddaughter Maddie Grace Westervelt. Bill is also survived by extended family, and close friends.
Bill was a Fire Control Technician in the United States Navy before and during the Vietnam War. Following service to his country he was employed at General Electric of Schenectady, New York as a design/draftsman working in both steam and gas turbine departments.
In 1975 he opened Adirondack Bicycle, Repair & Touring Shop on a part-time basis in Scotia, NY. In 1979 he resigned his position at GE and began a 40-year career at the bicycle shop. Following his sense of curiosity, he hand-crafted a bicycle for himself which led to further custom-built bicycles for family and bicycle shop clientele.
Curiosity also led him to teach himself photography, both film and digital, and to teach Mary, Jennifer, and Maddie Grace. He also inspired family and friends to explore opportunities in the great outdoors. Restoring an Adirondack guide boat, learning fly fishing, becoming a diner regular, being a life-long volunteer fireman, spoiling several perfectly good Golden Retrievers, writing journals, taking his beloved granddaughter on outdoor jaunts, baking his own special sourdough bread, and so many adventures enriched his life.
A memorial service will be forthcoming in New York which will be announced at a later date. A memorial contribution may be made in his name to Tin Can Sailors at destroyers.org.
Remember Bill today by taking a hike, looking up something that sparks your curiosity, take an interesting photo, and hold those close to you! To leave a message or memory for the family go to www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com. Bonners Ferry Funeral Home is caring for the family.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Daily Gazette Co. on Feb. 7, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for William Lewis

Sponsored by Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.

7 Entries

Kate Laird

May 19, 2024

We took this bike packing trip with Bill in 1979. At one point in the middle of nowhere in the Adirondack mountains, Bill, our fearless leader,stopped us all at an intersection trying to figure out which way to turn to get to the campsite. We laughingly accused him of being lost. He looked at his watch, smiled and said, "I planned to be exactly at this location at 3:22 p.m." It was a great trip!

Mark & Margie Applegate

March 1, 2024

We are so sorry to hear of Bill's passing, he was such a great guy in so many ways. Our boys got their first real bikes from Bill. He built 3 or 4 bikes for me (all tri-bikes), one of which I rode in the Ironman in Hawaii in '05. There's no greater piece of mind than knowing you're riding on a bike built and maintained by Bill. He then passed on as much expertise and knowledge about building those bikes. After his retirement I then built 2 of my own, that's when you realize how much you miss his talent and craftsmanship, his input, advice and his friendship. An incredible one of a kind person, Sage, mentor, friend. He will be dearly missed. Our sincerest sympathies to his family.

Michael and Debbie Mastroianni

February 27, 2024

We are so sorry to hear of Bill´s passing. We have many fond memories of our times visiting him at the bike shop in Scotia. We still have our Peugeot from the late 1980´s and our trek from 1990. We will never forget our canoe adventure with Bill and Mary on the Marion River and Raquett Lake to Blue Mountain Lake with some stormy and windy conditions. We will ride in honor of Bill in the spring and carry him in our thoughts when ever we ride. We are thinking of his loved ones.
Mike, Debbie and Sarah

Patrick Carroll

February 25, 2024

An incredible person and soul. Anyone who had the pleasure to spend time with Bill quickly became aware of his humble intelligence and wit. He was such an educator, teaching life lessons to those who he engaged.
His art was in each bike he created, one of which I proudly and gratefully own, and display on a wall in my home, like the timeless treasure it is. #BL 0043.
My thoughts and prayers are with Mary and family.
A quote I´ve always remembered, that hung on the shop cash register," it´s never to far to a friends house ". How true, how Bill.
-Patrick Carroll

MARY KUYKENDALL-WEBER

February 9, 2024

Mary and Jennifer, I am so sorry for your loss. Bill was a very special friend of Dick Weber, who not only thought his bikes were the best but Dick also appreciated Bill's sense of humor. As a frequent guest at Galway where Dick was always doing battle with beavers in the wetlands clogging up entry to the house in the woods, Dick once found his old bicycle wheels serving as a beaver deceiver over the causeway pipes. Winter treks on snowshoes over the beaver ponds once found both about to join the beavers in their lodge when the ice was too thin. Many happy memories on the Galway place for both us Mary's too.

Dennis

February 8, 2024

Back in 1985 my buddy Chris and I rode our bikes from our neighborhood in Saratoga to Schenectady. We heard a rumor there was a dedicated bike trail along the mohawk river. As we crossed the railroad bridge on route 50, Chris got a flat on his Lotus Elite. As luck would have it, we were only a few hundred feet from the Adirondack bike shop. We stopped in and Bill immediately fixed Chris's flat, But when he told us it would be five dollars, between the two of us we could only pull together $2.50. Bill said not to worry about it and to come back tomorrow and pay him. Since we lived in Saratoga, and at only 15 years old, we had no easy way to get back to pay him, we never made it back. Years later I told my 7 year old daughter the story. She wanted to put things right in the universe and asked me if we could go pay him back. Together we went to the shop and I explained the story to Bill. He laughed and when I offered him repayment with interest he refused it. Bill really saved us that day and I think of him often whenever I have an opportunity to pay his kindness forward.

Don Cooper

February 8, 2024

My introduction to Bill was when he built a custom bike frame for my son Mike who had just won the NYS junior road racing title. Bill was a superior craftsman, and great in dealing with his customers. I always knew when I walked in his shop we´d talk about all sorts of things for much longer than expected. I still ride my Trek Madone Bill got me in 2010, and miss Bill´s superior tune-ups.

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results