James M. Lewis, 84, of New Fairfield, CT and Englewood, FL, passed peacefully on March 6, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Lewis was born on October 14, 1932 in Flushing, Queens, NY; son of the late James and Catherine (Wolk) Lewis.
Mr. Lewis grew up in Great Neck and Long Eddy, NY. He served as a Corporal in the 64th Military Police Platoon First Army Honor Guard at Fort Jay on Governor’s Island, NY during the Korean Conflict.
He graduated from Indiana Institute of Technology, earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career at Mack Truck as a Testing and Development Engineer.
Jim was an employee of the United Parcel Service (UPS) for 26 years where he was an Automotive Engineer. In this role, he was involved in all aspects of design, testing, maintenance and operation of the UPS fleet of 90,000 vehicles and the direct responsibility for the engineering and purchasing of 9,000 tractor trailers. As federal regulations changed, Mr. Lewis was given additional responsibilities as the UPS automotive liaison and expert to interface with government agencies, engineering societies, manufacturers and industry groups on issues affecting the trucking industry.
Mr. Lewis’ notable career highlights included: being regarded as a leading national expert on the subject of air brake systems; he was an advisor to the Department of Transportation, the EPA, the Department of Energy, the National Highway Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board on issues related to brakes, noise, fuel economy and safety; his work in exploring alternative fuel sources which led to development of the stratified charge engine; and he was also an author and presenter for the Society of Automotive Engineers.
After he retired early at age 55, Mr. Lewis formed the JML Corporation, where he was a consultant to the trucking industry with expertise in all aspects of engineering and truck safety. He served as President and chief engineer of the Stratified Charge Engine Company.
His hobbies included fishing, boating, reading, traveling, collecting and restoring antique and classic cars, real estate investments and spending time with family.
Jim and MaryAnn Lewis raised their family in Middletown, NJ and New Fairfield, CT, before retiring to Englewood, FL.
Mr. Lewis is survived by his wife of 56 years, MaryAnn (Boesenberg) Lewis and their children: Terry and Dave Showalter, Jay and Chris Lewis, Patty Terry, Mike and Becky Lewis, John and Adele Lewis, Betsy Lewis and Doug Lockhart and Katie and Nick Mayer. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Allie, Michael, Jake, Tabatha, Trevor, Becca, Brian, Sara, Anna, Kevin, Joe, James, Patrick, Ryan, Connor, Erin, Vanessa and Alyssa.
In addition, he is survived by a sister, Kathleen and Bob Dawley; sisters-in-law: Bert Boesenberg, Jane and Jim Doyle; and Mickey and John Pawlowski; as well as many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 11:00 AM at St. Edward the Confessor Church; 21 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield. US Military Honors will be observed at the conclusion of the funeral mass. Interment will be private and at the direction of the family.
Friends will be received on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home; 9 Granville Avenue, Danbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Regional Hospice and Homecare - 30 Milestone Road; Danbury, CT 06810.