John M. Lewis

John McKeon Lewis, 77

Southbridge, MA - John McKeon Lewis passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 16th in the presence of his children and sister after a brave, years-long battle with several terminal illnesses. John was born in Torrance, CA in 1947 to his thespian parents “Red” and Etel Lewis. John is survived by his daughter Stephanie (Lewis) Cyr and his son-in-law Eric Cyr of Southbridge, his son Brendon Lewis and his wife Vanessa of Holland, MA, and his son John M. Lewis Jr. and his wife Christina of Deerfield, NH. John is also survived by his sister Penelope Lewis of Bondsville, MA, sister Lisa Lewis and her husband Tom of Pittsfield, MA, and his brother Matthew Lewis and his wife Julie of Florida. John also leaves behind his beloved grandchildren Kyle and Victoria Lewis, Esmee and Matthew Cyr, Merrick and Everleigh Lewis, and Liberty Lewis. John was predeceased by his father William W. Lewis, his mother Ethel B. (McKeon) Lewis, his aunt Dr. Clementine C. McKeon, his wife of nearly 40 years, AnneMarie (Wetherbee) Lewis, and his youngest son Trevor W. Lewis, who passed away in June of this year. John was also predeceased by his cherished constant companion Frankie the pug in 2019.

John was a dedicated, creative, and generous soul. He set an example of conscientiousness for his children, and could always be counted on to help others. He was an amazing father who will be missed desperately by his daughter and two living sons.

John had many unique professional opportunities throughout his life, and worked as a sound engineer and a volunteer firefighter in New York City, a sculptor and glassblower, a glass expert, a builder, an inventor, and an engineer. John worked for 46 years at Incom Inc. in Charlton, and had been retired for the last several years. John was a talented fabricator, and knew machinery in-and-out, leading to his nickname “Mr. Fix-it.”

John’s passion was art, and he earned a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in 3D-design in 1975. John’s work could be seen at his home and among the homestead grounds, and in Southbridge as examples of public art, along with an installation at the DeCordova Sculpture Park & Museum in Lincoln, MA. Before his illnesses, John was in the process of making his signature blown glass flower lamps, and left a home studio filled with dozens of colorful, unique, and intricate pieces. John loved volleyball, and installed a regulation-sized beach volleyball court at this home in 1986. John and his teammates could be seen each Friday night in the summer playing at his home, and also at the Quarter Keg Pub in Charlton, MA, where they secured several championships. In his younger days, John participated in pole vaulting, skiing in the Rocky Mountains, hiking, hunting and fly-fishing in the western US, and scuba diving in the Pacific.

The Lewis family would like to thank Shayla Miller, NP, Eileen Kane, NP and the amazing staff at Focused Primary Care for their dedication to John’s health and wellness over the course of the last several years. In addition, the family would also like to thank the wonderful providers at Brookhaven Hospice: Melinda, Jenn, Mandy, Brie, and Hinda for their unwavering support and dignified care of our father and brother over the past several weeks. 

Calling hours will be held on Friday, November 1, from 5-7 p.m., with a prayer service at 6:30 pm at Sansoucy Funeral Home, 40 Marcy Street, Southbridge, MA. Burial in the Lewis Family plot in Canaan, NY will be conducted at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to the Worcester Center for Crafts Glass Department, 25 Sagamore Rd., Worcester, MA, 01605, https://worcestercraftcenter.org/ 

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John Lewis: Artist 

By Susan Haddad Doscher

After working in the recording business with Gordon Rose in NYC, John enrolled in 3D design at Mass Art. He was often seen late into the night working on welding sculptures, glass blowing and foundry work. In 1974, he ventured out with several fellow students to build and run Berkshire Blown Glass in West Stockbridge, MA. He was an inventor, designer and fabricator.  He built all the equipment such as furnaces, annealing kilns, and workbenches. An example of his ingenuity was a pneumatic furnace door which was operated by stepping on a wah-wah pedal. He loved music and installed a multi speaker system in the shop. He had favorite artists he liked to listen to while blowing glass such as The Who and Lou Reed. The shop offered demonstrations and classes as well as a retail store. He had a passion for glass and ventured on to work in the industry as well as continuing to blow glass and give demonstrations at various schools such as the Worcester Center for Crafts. He had a specialty in mixed media objects that incorporated blown glass with metal, stone and lighting. 

John was a fun story teller and had an incredibly dry humor. His one-liners were priceless, and he held on to that humor till the end. He was my friend and I will miss him. 

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