Colonel Lewis G. McFarland (Ret.)
Colonel Lewis G. McFarland (Ret.)
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Lewis was Blessed with two great loves and created his beautiful and loving family through these marriages: Tyler McFarland (Kari) VA Beach, Amanda McFarland, Florida, five grandchildren, Justin, Jordan, Chloe, Abby and Cooper whom lovingly called him Pop-Pop.
Lewis attended Arkansas Tech and earned a degree in Geology. It was there he met the love of his life, Sandra McFarland, and she squared him away for the next 53 years and supported and loved him all the days of her life. While at Arkansas Tech he participated in the ROTC program and was commissioned into the Army upon graduation. Lewis served as a professional soldier for 30 years. Commanding Batteries, Battalion, Brigade, Chief of Staff on a division level unit and served on the staff of the Secretary of Defense.
Lew attended the US Army Staff College, the British Army Staff College, and attended the College of the Armed Forces in lieu of the US Army War College. He obtained his Master's Degree from George Washington University.
Later in life, Lew met Debi McFarland, his soulmate. They balanced each other out and respected their differences, but agreed about the important things. He will be dearly missed by the family he received from this union: Parker Rankin (Ashlie), Washington State, William Rankin, Mississippi and Daniel Rankin, VA Beach, and step-grandchildren, Theo and Ada.
A service of remembrance will take place at 5pm on Monday, April 29, 2024 at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Kempsville Chapel. An inurnment will follow in the columbarium at the Catholic Church of Saint Mark. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to the SPCA, to support the love and care of the animals he so loved during his life.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Donna and Paul Weddle
February 1, 2025
So sorry to just hear about Lew´s death last year. We were good friends of Lew and Sandy while stationed in Germany twice with them, and our three daughters were friends of Tyler and Mandy. I saw them last in the Newport News area, before Sandy died. I was able to attend Lew´s change of command in Germany, when he became a Brigade Commander.
So many connections through the years, and he was a wonderful officer and commander, in many difficult times, as well as a great guy. Praying for all of the family, in this sad loss of a wonderful friend.
Donna and Paul Weddle
Gurney Brown
August 4, 2024
I served with (then) Major McFarland at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany in 1975-1976. He was the Battalion S-3 and I was a SGT. E-5 working in the Command Section. We Conversed on an almost daily basis and I greatly enjoyed working with him and learned a great deal from him. We lived in the same small town and on several occasions my wife and I looked after his kids Mandy & Tyler when he and Sandy went away for long weekends. I last spoke to him about a year ago. I was thinking about him today just before I discovered that he had passed. Condolences to Mandy and Ty.
Robert Dupwe
August 4, 2024
Lew and I were in the ROTC together at Arkansas Tech. Our paths crossed again years later when we were assigned to the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. We were both very junior officers for that assignment, and - as a result - were both housed 50 miles away in Lawrence, Kansas. The good thing about that is that our families got to know each other and Lew and I had a lot of time together as we commuted five days a week. Lew was not only a good friend, but also one of the finest army officers I've known.
Julia Plancon
April 3, 2024
Love you, Lew. Too many fun memories to list. Hope you, Sandy, and Paul are laughing until you cry. Love and hugs to you all, Julie
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