Obituaries

Joe (Joseph) Frank Lewis, 73, passed away and went home to be with the Lord on June 8. He was born in Arcata, California, to Joe Lewis, Jr. and Mary (Schuler) Lewis. The family moved to Ferndale in 1954. He attended Assumption Catholic School, then Ferndale Union High School, graduating in 1969. He was drafted by the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.

After military service, he returned to Ferndale and served as chief of police; later he served as resident deputy in Petrolia, then marshall and deputy sheriff in the Eureka Court System. 

He married his high school sweetheart Laura Waterson, with whom he had a daughter, Rebecca Lynne, born in 1973. They resided in Ferndale for the next 30 years until Laura’s death. Sadly, Rebecca passed away in 2005, shortly after her mother.

In 2004, Joe met and fell in love with Beth York. They continued to reside in Ferndale until 2014, when they moved to Idaho for eight years. They then moved to Michigan to hang out with old friends and get more exercise! In late 2022, Joe was diagnosed with cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange during his tour in Vietnam. In July of 2023, he and Beth moved to Tennessee so he could be treated at one of the best VA facilities in the country. He ended up having at least two more cancers and bravely faced many, many difficult treatments. Throughout it all, he always kept his good nature, sweet smile and beautiful, strong and profound faith. He was comforted by his love for Jesus Christ, knowing that we will all be together again someday.

He was one of the good guys in this world, with a great sense of humor and a natural wit. He loved to laugh and had a contagious, fun laugh. His beautiful blue eyes sparkled with his laughter. His passing leaves an emptiness that cannot be filled.

He is survived by his very much loved wife, Beth, her son, Jeremy, and his children Brooklyn, Max and Mia; his brother, Rich Lewis, and wife, Judi, and sister, Lynne Kennedy and husband Mike.

The family wishes any memorial donations be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which was born from the tragedy of 9/11. It is committed to eradicating veteran homelessness, among other excellent causes. Online donations may be made at dogood.t2t.org.