Rev. Robert J. Lewis

1931 - 2023

Lewis

Rev. Robert J. Lewis

Rev. Robert J. Lewis died Wednesday September 6, 2023 at his home in Greenbelt, at the age of 92.

Rev. Lewis was born in Heltonville, Indiana July 25, 1931, the 3rd son of Rev. Paul S. Lewis and Lillie Lewis. His father was a Methodist pastor and, while Robert was growing up, the family moved every four years from one small southern Indiana town to another. As Valedictorian of the Plainville High School, Robert received a Rector Scholarship and attended DePauw University from which he graduated with a BA in Philosophy in 1953. He served Methodist congregations in Indiana and the state of New York as a student minister before receiving a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University in 1955 . Not feeling the Methodist Church to be the best match for the development and application of his theology, on returning to Indiana, he trained as a Goodwill Industries Executive. One Sunday he visited the All Souls Unitarian Church in Indianapolis where he met, and later married, Sylvia Kelsey. The couple moved to Hagerstown MD, where Robert ran the Goodwill Industries office. After being invited to be part time minister for the Hagerstown Unitarian Fellowship, Robert received guest preaching invitations to speak to other Unitarian congregations. This led, in 1961, to his being called by a congregation in Bethesda MD. to be their first Minister. While he was there the building was built and named the River Road Unitarian Church.

Robert left RRUC in 1968 to pursue a PhD in Psychology at Catholic University. He moved, with his family, to Greenbelt, MD, where he lived the rest of his life. He didn't complete his PhD, but served, for a while, as minister of the Silver Spring Unitarian Church and later with Sylvia, as part time co-minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fallston, MD. When he wasn't ministering to a congregation, guest preaching, performing weddings or memorial services he occupied himself in many and varied jobs: employment counselor, cab driver, marketing bricks and being night watchman at Maryland Clay, selling fish at Eastern Market, and day laborer, helping build Eleanor Roosevelt High School!

Robert had a full life and a good death. He was ahead of his time in his social justice advocacy and in self exploration. He died in the wee small hours of the morning, listening to songs from the 30s, 40s and 50s on Singers and Swing, his favorite cable TV station. In spite of the dementia of his later years, he was fortunately able to experience his last days and meet death with lucidity and a spirit of exploration, as he would have wished.

Robert is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sylvia, his daughter Janet Lewis (Wayne Strouse), son Drew Lewis, granddaughter Kelsey Strouse (Andrew Litwin), bonus grandchildren Lily and Lanni Solochek, great-granddaughter Samantha Joy Litwin, brother Wilford Lewis and many nephews, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by brother Stanley, and sister Suzanna/Donna (Robert Barash).

Robert donated his body to the MD State Anatomy Board. A Memorial Service will be held at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 11 a.m. Thursday, October 26. A Remembering Robert Lewis event will be held at the Greenbelt American Legion at 2 p.m. on Saturday October 28.

Donations in Robert's name may be made to the charity of your choice, the Greenbelt Community Foundation or Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice.