J. C. Lewis was born in northern Beckham County, Oklahoma near Berlin on March 19, 1929 to Willie Lee Lewis, Sr. and Virginia Ethel (Chafin) Lewis and joined our Heavenly father on Monday March 2, 2020. He was the youngest of three brothers. The family moved many places in Beckham County during his school years from his birth place near Berlin to Delhi, New Liberty, and Sayre. He graduated from Sayre High School in 1947 as president of his class.
Immediately after completing high school J.C. was offered a scholarship to play football, basketball, and baseball for then Panhandle A&M. During his senior year he joined the United States Air Force as a cadet pilot and immediately went on to the Korean Conflict in 1951 as a fighter pilot from base K-13 in South Korea flying in primarily the F-80 Shooting Star fighter bomber – the USA's first single engine jet fighter, the F-84 Thunderjet and finally, the F-86 Sabre. He finished his last semester via correspondence while in Korea and graduated with a BA in History from Panhandle A&M. The end of the Korean conflict brought him back to Bryan Air Force Base in Bryan, Texas in late 1953 as a Flight Commander/Operations Officer, Jet Flight Instruction. Shortly afterwards, he and Alice LaVaun Shields were married on August 1, 1954 at the First Baptist Church in Guymon, Oklahoma spending their Honeymoon in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A romance that was kindled while both were attending Panhandle A&M and interestingly, their parents lived across from each other on Quinn Street in Guymon.
In June of 1958 their first son, Roger Lewis was born in Bryan, Texas and shortly thereafter J.C. was transferred first to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, then to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama as Instructor, Military Management Division/Air Command and Staff College. In 1962 J.C. was transferred to Ankara, Turkey as Air Operations Officer for Eurasia/Africa. Their second son, Mark Lewis, was born there in July 1963. A year later J.C. was transferred to Athens, Greece and eventually back to Montgomery, Alabama in 1964 to Maxwell Air Force Base as Chief of the Academic Training Division, Air Command and Staff College. During this period he achieved a Masters in International Affairs degree from George Washington University. J.C.'s next assignment was to South Vietnam in 1968/69 where he served in Cu Chi and then Bien Hoa as Squadron Operations Officer and fighter pilot for the OV-10 Bronco twin engine turboprop plane during the Tet Offensive. He was concurrently Senior Advisor to the US Army 25th Infantry Division as well as Senior Advisor to III Corps and South Vietnamese Commanders, coordinating air strikes in support of both. J.C. flew the OV-10 Bronco as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) flying numerous low-level missions for dispatch of air rescue, insurgency, and intelligence. In all, J.C. flew 107 combat missions in Korea and 117 missions in Vietnam for 224+ sorties overall during war time. Concluding his Air Force career, he was last transferred to Eglin Air Force, Hurlburt Field as OV-10 Squadron Operations officer for the OV-10 Bronco. J.C. was then offered a promotion to the Pentagon Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington D.C. but, declined as he would be relegated to a desk job when flying was his love. He then retired from the Air Force in June of 1971. He, LaVaun, and the boys retired back to Guymon and engaged in farming operations on their own near Elkhart, Kansas and a quarter of family farmland north of Optima, Oklahoma until 1981. His Air Force career included 3,541 flight hours, having flown 15 different aircraft USAF aircraft qualifying him the distinguished designation of "Command Pilot". He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.
J.C.'s U.S. Air Force decorations include: The Distinguished Flying Cross 1st Oak Leaf Cluster, The Air Medal, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Services, 1st through 6th Oak Leaf Cluster and the Republic of Vietnam Air Service Medal, Honor Class.
J.C. traveled and spoke extensively to agricultural communities during the late 1970's and early 80's in support of the American Agriculture Movement. He had many meetings with major legislators at the local, state, and national levels to change agricultural policies negatively impacting farmers.
J.C. was preceded in death by his wife, Alice LaVaun (Shields) Lewis (2005), parents, father Willie Lee Lewis, Sr. and mother Virginia Ethel (Chafin) Lewis, brothers Willie Lee Lewis, Jr and wife Mabel (Fairless) Lewis, and Jackie Eugene Lewis and wife Evelyn (Thomas) Lewis, brother in law Paul Shields.
He is survived by two sons and their families, Roger Lewis of Sugar Land, Texas and family including stepson Dr. Brent Galloway, Jr. and wife Jackie of Rockwall, Texas and grandchildren Ethan, Atalie, Luke, and Ben. Grandson Daniel Lewis and granddaughter Catherine Lewis (student at OSU) of Sugar Land, Texas and their mother Ann Warren (Lewis) also of Sugar Land, Texas. Son Mark Lewis and fiancé Debra Lubman of Reisterstown, Maryland. Nieces and nephews include Elaine (Lewis) Courtney, Marcy Courtney-Collister and husband Brent of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Larry Lee Lewis and wife Marsha (Wetwiska) Lewis, and their daughters, Leah of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and, Katy (Lewis) Spiker and husband Nathan Spiker of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kerry Lewis of Stevensville Michigan, Chylon (Lewis) Poluhanycz and husband Nick and their son Grant and daughter Katherin, grandchildren Michael and Eli of Baroda, Michigan. Jill (Shields) Purtee and husband Bob Purtee of Surprise, Arizona, Don Shields of Dallas, Texas, and Rex Shields of Winfield, Kansas.
J.C. thoroughly enjoyed sports and outdoor activities, having spent much of his personal time playing sports and coaching baseball with his sons and many other young men. J.C. proudly served his community in many ways as a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Guymon, president of the Guymon adult chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, president of the Guymon High School booster club and president of the Panhandle Royalty Owners Association. What J.C. enjoyed the most was coaching and mentoring youth and young adults and enjoyed a lifetime of special bonds. The Lewis household always enjoyed friends and guests for years as a result of these relationships. While J.C. lived in Guymon, he was a member of the First Baptist Church and Grace Southern Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday afternoon, March 7th at 2:00 p.m. at the Guymon First Baptist Church, 2201 N. Lelia St. Interment with military honors will follow at the Elmhurst Cemetery in Guymon. Services are under the care of the Bunch - Roberts Funeral Home of Guymon.
The Lewis family will greet friends on Friday evening, March 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
If desired, friends and family are welcome to choose flowers or donations to: First Baptist Church, Grace Southern Baptist Church, The Alzheimer's Association, The Heritage Community, Guymon OK. Memorials will be accepted at the Bunch - Roberts Funeral Home, PO Box 1112, Guymon, OK 73942. Friends can sign the online guest book and leave condolences at www.bunchroberts.com.