David Howard Lewis

David Howard Lewis, 36, of Bennington, NH, passed away on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH after a valiant battle with Follicular Lymphoma.

David was born on March 22, 1971and raised in Barre, VT. In his childhood, he often spent summers at Lake Bomoseen, VT and he still visited there as an adult. For the past 9 years, he has lived with his family in Bennington, NH.

David graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont in 1989. He also attended Bridgeton Academy in Maine and graduated from Daniel Webster College in Nashua, NH with a degree in Aviation Management.

David was a licensed general aviation pilot. He worked at Avidyne Corporation in Lincoln, MA. Earlier, he worked at AeroRepair in Manchester, NH, and at Jet Aviation in Bedford, NH.

David was an award-winning artist. His work can be seen at www.backwardspaint.com and on cars and helmets around town. He belonged to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. He frequently won awards for his artwork.

David was a talented basketball player. He played on the Spaulding High School team, on the Daniel Webster College team, and in a local adult league. At Bridgton Academy, he competed on the Mountain Bike Team. He was a life-long runner, and coached his children in soccer in the Antrim/Bennington league.

David was an avid NASCAR fan and attended races with his family whenever he could. For two seasons, he was a race car driver in the Pro4 division at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, NH. He also assisted other drivers in their pit crews. Some of his best times were at the tracks.

David participated in Community Theater through the Barre Players. His favorite role was as a sailor in South Pacific. A musician, he met his wife, Joy, in high school band. He loved to play saxophone for his children.

In high school, David and his wife rescued a driver from a burning vehicle after an accident they encountered on the road. The experience changed David'™s life, and he always helped people wherever he was.

David loved his children, his wife, his friends, his family, his community, Geocaching, smiling, sugar cookies, burgers on the grill, field trips, big bands, fixing old clocks, flying, painting, sailing, jazz, NASCAR, backyard picnics, swimming at the beach, pancakes and bacon on Saturday mornings, playing with his children, and watching them grow.

David is survived by his wife, Joy (Kelly) Lewis; his son, Jared Harmond Lewis, 8, and his daughter, Faith Julia Lewis, 7 of Bennington, NH; his mother, Sandra Lewis of Barre, VT; his sister Donna Macauley and her husband Craig of Marlborough, MA and their children Kevin and Kira; his parents-in-law Sandra and Richard Kelly of Barre, VT; his sister-in-law Terri-Ann and Brandon Therrien of Kensington, CT and their children Connor and Kelsey; his sister-in-law Kristine Kelly and her husband Arthur Gleckler of Sunnyvale, CA; his grandmother Dorothy Lewis of Portsmouth, NH; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and very special friends; and Snaggle, his cat. David'™s father Lt. Col. Howard Lewis passed away in 1987.

Calling hours will be on Sunday, June 24th at the Cournoyer Funeral Home, 33 River Street, (Route 202 South) in Jaffrey, NH from 3:00-5:00 PM.

Services will be at The Bennington Congregational Church, Bennington, NH at 12:00 Noon on Monday, June 25th. Pastor Robert Ritchie and Rev. Gerald Belanger will officiate. Burial will follow at Saint Patrick Cemetery in Bennington.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to: The Jared and Faith Lewis Educational Fund, Attn: Wanda Clough, Lake Sunapee Bank, PO Box 6577, Peterborough, NH 03458; or to the Pierce Elementary School Parent Teachers Association Attn: Pamela Matthews, 19 Main Street, Bennington, NH 03442

To view an online memorial or to send a condolence to David'™s family, please visit www.cournoyerfh.com