Lewis W. Hicks III

Born on June 8, 1926 in Atlantic City, NJ to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis W. Hicks, Jr., he was the husband of the late Bernice Silva Hicks. Along with his dear rescue Westie, Sophie, he is survived by his daughters Jennifer A. Hicks of Boston and Martha Hicks Leta of Marshfield Hills, son-in-law Louis P. Leta III, granddaughters Bonnie and Caroline, and granddog Daisy. He is also survived by younger brother Harry C. Hicks as well as nieces, nephews, several grandnieces and one grandnephew.

Lew was raised in Pittsburgh, PA where his father’s family had been involved for several generations in coal and steel interests. He was educated at Shady Side Academy and The Lawrenceville School, where he was an active member in the Periwig Club. In 1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and was stationed at Lowry AFB and Las Vegas Army Air Field where he trained and served over two years in the positions of airplane armorer specializing in B-17s, remote control turret mechanic and flexible gunner. Later, during the Korean conflict he was called again and served as Staff Sergeant at Mitchel Field and Rosalyn Air National Guard Station.

After WWII, he attended Princeton University studying physics and electrical engineering and later worked at Princeton University Plastics Lab. Following a whirlwind courtship of three months, he married Bernice Silva, an RN at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. The following year he received his flight instructor certification and became a commercial pilot and flight and instrument instructor at Princeton Airport. He and his bride settled in Princeton, NJ where they raised and showed Airedales in their spare time, later moving to Lawrenceville to raise their two daughters.

After nearly six years of narrow escapes with eccentric students, malfunctioning equipment and a penchant for testing the limits of the Northern Atlantic airspace, he left flying went to work his way up to Operations Manager at WABD/WNEW Channel 5 in New York City where, for the next decade, he worked with such notable television personalities as Sonny Fox, Sandy Becker, Soupy Sales and many others.

In the late 1960s he changed direction yet again and became a private detective starting his own firm, the Atlantic Detective Agency. During this time he also became involved in volunteering with Lawrence Township Fire and Rescue. Over the next 20 years, Lew served as an EMT, EMT Instructor and Extrication Instructor.

Since the early 1960’s Lew and his family spent many happy summers on Cape Cod, building a home in Chatham, MA in 1966. There, he served as Commodore of Monomoy Yatch Club, was a member at Eastward Ho! and assisted on several productions of the Welfleet Harbor Actors’ theater with his wife, Bernice.

He made Chatham his permanent residence in 2004 and made many friends at his favorite haunts, the Chatham Squire, The Wayside Inn, Longshore, Pate’s and the Impudent Oyster, where he enjoyed sharing bizarre factoids and the myriad tales of adventures that come with a life well-lived. An avid lover of dogs, Lew could be found faithfully walking his dog(s) at 9:30 every morning with a widening circle of friends on two legs and four who have come to be known as the Short-Legged Dog Society.

He left the following instructions for his burial, which his daughters have done their best to honor: “A private service was held for the family and dogs, followed by a midnight planting at the convenience of the family with three Gregorian chanting mystics in dark robes dancing under a full moon. There were no calling hours."

His daughters are planning an unsanctioned memorial celebration in his honor on his birthday, June 8, when he would have turned 88 years old. The Celebration will start at The Chatham Squire with a bagpiper playing at 4PM. Please email [email protected] for the particulars. Donations may be sent in his name to: Northern New England Westie Rescue www.nnewestierescue.org, The Animal Rescue League of Boston, 3981 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631, Chatham Fire Association, 135 Depot Road, Chatham, MA 02633, Lawrence Township Emergency First Aid Squad Inc., 11 Featherbed Ct ., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.