Robert Samuel Lewis

Robert S. "Bill" Lewis went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at the age of 97. Services will be held at the First Baptist Church on Saturday, October 4, at 2:00 P.M. with Rev. Bryan Pain officiating. Interment will follow in Duncan Municipal Cemetery with Ty Padgett, Andrew Goodman, Steve Price, Paul Wentzler, Matthew LeBlanc, and Mark Brim serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Ricky Smith, Jerrin Price, and Graham Padgett. Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitt Funeral Home.
Mr. Lewis was born February 22, 1928, in the farm home of his maternal grandparents, John and Viola Hancock, west of Comanche. His parents were Albert and Velma (Hancock) Lewis. They gave him the legal name of Robert, but he is more widely known as Bill.
Bill grew up in Duncan and graduated from Duncan High School in 1946. He was the leading receiver on the Duncan state football championship team in 1945, and the leading scorer for four years of high school basketball. He attended Oklahoma A&M (OSU) on a basketball scholarship, playing for the legendary coach Hank Iba. He graduated in 1951 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. In 2010, Bill was inducted into the Duncan High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
On June 1, 1950, Bill married Virginia Nell Earnhart. They celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary this year.
Mr. Lewis worked for General Electric Company until 1954 where he was in the Jet Engine Engineering Department. He was then employed by Halliburton Company in the Duncan Engineering Department. For many years, he designed pumping equipment for international operations. This led to several trips overseas to supervise the use of the newest units. These units were used to kill wild wells, and he could tell interesting stories of his experiences on these wells with the famous well control expert Red Adair. Bill retired in 1988 from Halliburton as the Engineering Department Administrative Supervisor.
Bill and Virginia were active in the First Baptist Church. He held several positions of leadership including deacon, trustee, Sunday School Director, and Leadership Training Director. He was also the Building Committee Chairman for the church's Family Life Center. When he retired in 2015 as the Sunday School Director, he was presented with an OSU monogrammed watch for serving 60 years in the education program of the church. In March 2022, he was made a Deacon Emeritus.
Mr. Lewis enjoyed outdoor activities such as hunting, golfing, fishing, and gardening. These were often interrupted by trips overseas. He and Virginia were fortunate to be able to travel extensively to many parts of the world.
Bill is survived by his wife Virginia; two daughters: Lisa Padgett (husband Wes) and Sharon Hyde of Duncan; 5 grandchildren: Caroline Wentzler (husband Paul) of Houston, TX, Lauren LeBlanc (husband Matthew) of Missouri City, TX, Kyna Price (husband Steve) of Prosper, TX, Ty Padgett (wife Jessica) of Comanche, and Andrew Goodman (wife Ashley) of Portland, OR. Other survivors include 8 great-grandchildren; brother, Jerry (wife Diane) of Coquille, OR, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Sue Ann Smith; sister, Letha Dollarhide; and brother, Joe Lewis.
In lieu of flowers a memorial donation may be made to First Baptist Church in Duncan.
Online condolences may be made at www.whittfh.com.