Robert "Bob" Edward Lewis

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 13, 1933 to Wesley Taggart and Pauline Marguerite (Kane) Lewis, he spent his youth as a “Southie” on the infamous Mapes Street in the Dorchester section of Boston. Bob had an intense love for his parents, brothers, and sisters as they navigated the challenges of the post depression era. He and his wife Dorothy “Dottie” (Steadman) Lewis met as children on that street, and knew from the start their love was meant to be. They married at twenty and raised six children. Bob started his work life as an auto mechanic, but, soon felt the call to support his country by joining the Air Force at seventeen during the Korean War. He retired after twenty-one years of service at home and abroad, including Thule, Greenland and, his favorite, Okinawa, Japan. During this time he received various accolades for his accomplishments, including Serviceman of the Year while stationed at Topsham AFB, Topsham, Maine. Bob completed his military career at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona, after which he continued his service to the community as a postal clerk and Postal Workers Union Steward for the Phoenix Post Office for twenty-seven years. He lost the love of his life, Dorothy, after forty-three years of marriage, but was blessed to find love again and share the next twenty-three years with Mary Ann (Amick) Lewis.

Bob never stopped chasing a win at the dog races and loved fishing with his siblings and children in his younger years in Boston and Maine. During his time as a Steward, he found great satisfaction is fighting for the rights of his fellow postal workers and is well known for challenging the accepted norms, regardless of the side to which he actually subscribed. Better known to his children as “playing the devil’s advocate”. In his later years he enjoy passing on his “words of wisdom”, telling stories of growing up on Mapes Street, and reminiscing about his time in Okinawa, Japan while in the Air Force. He was proud of his family’s history in New England dating back to the 1600’s in Boston, Maine, and New York,

in addition to Canada.

Bob is survived by two brothers and two sisters, Danny, Michael “Butchie”, Nancy Morse and Polly Ann Mollon, six loving children, Gail [Gary] Baker, Robert [Virginia], Kathleen [SO-Scott] Murphy, Laura [SO-Bryan], Keith [Janine], and Kellie [Claude], twelve grandchildren, Brent, Brian, Nicole, Natalie, Jennifer, Dustin, Maquela, Noah, Olivia, Kyle, Dennis “DJ”, and Cyris along with nine great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. He is also survived by his step-daughter Dawn [Stretch] Austin, seven step-grandchildren, and six step-great-grandchildren.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Wesley Taggart Lewis and Pauline Marguerite (Kane), his wife of forty-three years Dorothy “Dottie” (Steadman), his wife of twenty-three years Mary Ann (Amick), brothers Thomas “Sonny”, Richie, Paul “Bunky”, Jimmy, Charlie, Davey, and Johnny, sister Suzie Finn, and stepson Aaron Amick.

There will be a Celebration of Life on March 8th at Green Acres Mortuary, located at 401 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona at 2:00 p.m. followed by a graveside service at 3:00. The family asks, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Robert’s name to Hospice of the Valley.

“Our mortal birth was not the beginning, death, which faces all of us, is not the end.” ~Ezra Taft Benson~