Harry Lewis

Dr. Harry Lewis, of Harrisburg, born in Frankfurt, Germany February 9, 1925, died on October 29, 2016, at the age of 91.

Preceding him in death were his daughters, Cecilia J. Lewis-Howe (1990); his only grandchild, Amber Jeanette Long (@004); and his wife of 63 years, Reba Grace Kennedy-Lewis (2015).

He is survived by a son, Robert Aaron Lewis, 64, and wife Terri Fong of Oakland, CA; and daughter, Stephanie M. Long, 55, divorced, owner of the Goldcrafter's Corner, of Harrisburg.

He was born to the late Alex and Rachel Lewius, Jewish Latvians living in Germany. They were forced to immigrate when he was 13. His father was a watchmaker. Coming to the country, speaking no English, he was enrolled in Bowman's Watchmaking School in Philadelphia. By the age of 14 he was living on his own, dropping out of school to earn a living. At 18, he joined the US Army. Originally trained as a medical tech, his fluency in German posted him to Switzerland as an interpreter and intelligence agent.

Honorably discharged and naturalized, he read about the new GED program, only available in a handful of places. He read voraciously, teaching himself and traveled to New York City to get a GED. He enrolled in the Colorado State University at Greeley as an English major, where he met Reba Grace Kennedy. And while they both worked their way through college, teaching and acquiring Masters Degrees, they had 3 children.

Harry became fascinated with the possibilities of teaching the mentally challenged and underprivileged, teaching special education and working with the Colorado Migrant Council. He was offered a position at Peabody in Tennessee, becoming a Peabody Fellow, designing learning modules for 3rd world countries. He was invited to Miami University to work with the Miccosukee Indians and other minorities, and there he got his PhD. in Program Development, while teaching and designing learning modules for NEA RAD. His dissertation was the Second Step Reading Program, which can help anyone become a more effective reader in about 16 hours.

He moved to SUNY at Albany and then SUNY Plattsburg, designing and overseeing Adult Education programs and preschool immersion programs. He was invited to the Virgin Isles to set up educational programs there and after his retirement from SUNY, he took a position with Mansfield University as Director of Grants and Contracts.

He was an educator to the end of his days, passionate about equal opportunity for everyone to have the chance to get an education. He was also an excellent cook, picking up and sharing recipes through his many connections. He was always generous and hospitable and loved to invite people for a meal. Truly, he lived to help others.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 12, 2016, 4:30 PM, at Zimmerman-Auer Funeral Home, Inc. 4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17109.

Arrangements by Cremation Society of Pennsylvania, Inc.