Skip Lewis, 74, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Gloucester, Virginia, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. His given name was Maynard Gibson Lewis, named after his father and a late uncle, but he was always known as Skip. His parents were the late Captain Woodrow G. Lewis, originally from Hallieford, Va., and Virginia Foxwell Lewis, who was born in Leonardtown, Md., and grew up in Baltimore.
Until moving to Gloucester in 2015, he had lived his entire life in Baltimore, where he graduated from The St. Paul School for Boys and the University of Baltimore. Skip taught school and tried sales for a while until he found his true calling as a systems engineer and data analyst. He held positions with the same entity through multiple buyouts for 37 years, retiring from Lockheed Martin in 2016. Through his job, he travelled all over this country and much of the world sharing his knowledge and expertise.
Skip was a history buff and loved reading and researching merchant shipping, concentrating on the shipping lines his father and uncles worked for. Along with two friends, he set up the websites IsthmianLines.com and StatesMarineLines.com, and was the historian for both. With his knowledge, Skip helped many people track down information and records regarding their loved one’s experiences in the Merchant Marine. He also built very intricate models of merchant ships. He enjoyed all sports, particularly the Orioles, the Ravens, and the Baltimore Colts for whom he had season tickets. He liked playing softball, basketball, and golf, and he loved to fish, especially surf fishing on the Outer Banks, spending three weeks a year there for over 40 years.
Skip is survived by his wife, Lynn Baynard Lewis, with whom he shared 35 loving years. He also leaves behind a number of caring cousins including Bobby and Valerie Lewis of Gwynn’s Island, Va., Wayne and Brenda Lewis, Marti and Tom Bowen, Christi Lewis and Martha Moss, all from Mathews, Va., and their wonderful families. Skip made many friends along the way whom he considered part of his family. They include people he met when he joined DeMolay in his teens, and those friendships lasted a lifetime across generations. He later became a member of Liberty Pickering Masonic Lodge #219 in Maryland.
Skip was a kind individual who always took care of those around him. Special thanks go out to Dr. Joseph Leming who helped ease the journey every step of the way and to all the caregivers at Heron Cove who took such special care of Skip. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in Skip’s memory, or to the Mathews Maritime Foundation of Mathews in honor of his father and all of the other Mathews men who went to sea.
A memorial service will be held at Faulkner Funeral Homes, Foster-Faulkner Chapel, 160 Main Street, Mathews, Va. 23109 on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 11 a.m. A gathering of family and friends will follow the service at the White Dog Bistro, 68 Church Street, Mathews, Va. 23109.