David "Butch" Lewis

Father, Grandfather, Legend
David "Butch" Lewis passed away Sunday evening, October 6, 2024. He had been a resident of Pendleton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Mystic for the last several years after suffering a stroke. He was the husband of the late Gayle (Mannello) Lewis.
Butch was born in Waterbury, CT to Charlie and Jennie (Mikolsky) Lewis. The youngest of three children, Butch attended school at St. Francis Xavier. Leaving High School for the U.S. Air Force, Butch was a Military Policeman before returning to Waterbury where he worked at Scovill and Century Brass as a millwright. Later in his career he worked for Avco Lycoming (eventually Honeywell) and prior to his retirement worked for DeSantis Sweeping and Paving (eventually Haynes).
Butch was known by a few names, "Poppy" to his grandkids, David to his mother, and Butch or "Beau" to everyone else. He was always around, often at 7-11 for lotto tickets, but he was always available to help his family or friends. In many ways Butch was a larger-than-life character, starting with his bodybuilding days. As big as Butch was his whole life, people would say "You should have seen him when he was BIG." No one gave a bigger push, threw you higher in the pool, or kicked a ball farther. Despite his often-rugged exterior, fresh from work or fixing something in the yard, he was a very caring and kind person, often calling his sons' friends "honey" instead of their names. Just one of his unique character traits.
Butch married his wife Gayle (Mannello) in May of 1972. They made their home in Oakville where they loved, and drove each other crazy, until her passing in 2012. They enjoyed vacationing at the beach, often to Maine, as well as many trips to Florida.
He is survived by his sons Jaime (Kevin Rogers) Lewis, of Stonington Borough, CT, and Seth (Kerry) Lewis along with his two grandchildren Abigail and Cameron, of Acton, MA, his two siblings Richard (Nancy) Lewis of Washington state, and Carol Douthit from Colorado, as well as a son Mark (Lisa) Lewis from a previous marriage, and their two sons. He was predeceased by another son, Brandon Lewis.
The family wishes to extend their thanks to the nurses and caretakers at Pendleton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, who cared for Butch and became part of his family over these past years.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm with a service beginning at 6:45pm at Maiorano Funeral Home, 95 Willow St., Waterbury, CT. Burial will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to Project Onramp c/o the Brandon Lewis Experiment, dedicated to awarding grants to economically disadvantaged students exploring careers in life sciences online at https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=renxt&formId=fa39eaba-fae5-44cd-b5d4-d5a80d9057ed&envid=p-q9yn-8HrmEyZsIqEXsTI7Q&zone=usa