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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2015)
FRIDAYEXTRA ! The Daily Astorian Friday, April 24, 2015 Weekend Edition KATHERINE LACAZE — EO Media Group Gary Lewis, 69, has assumed the unofficial role of emissary for Avamere at Seaside (formerly Necanicum Village Senior Living) where he is a resident. Lewis often can be seen frequenting the sidewalk outside of the facility to brighten the days of passing travelers with a smile and a wave. SEASIDE MAN SHARES A Assisted living facility resident shares memories from his years as football star, architect W AV E By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group I f you have traveled along U.S. High- way 101 in south Seaside anytime during the past few months, chanc- es are you’ve caught a glimpse of Gary Lewis doing one of his favorite pastimes: smiling and waving at passersby, or per- KDSV VROLFLWLQJ D KRQN IURP D ÀHHWLQJ truck. On dry days, the 69-year-old resident frequents the sidewalk in front of Ava- mere at Seaside — formerly Necanicum Village Senior Living. It was recently ac- quired by the Avamere Family of Com- panies. His mission to brighten the days of travelers has been quite successful, ac- cording to Avamere staff. They have received calls from multiple people ex- pressing gratitude for the smile and wave they received from Lewis and, often, wanting to learn a little more about him. :KHQKH¶VQRWRXWVLGHIXO¿OOLQJKLVXQRI- ¿FLDOUROHDVHPLVVDU\IRUWKHDVVLVWHGOLY- ing facility, people inquire if he’s all right. People who have been touched by Lewis’ wave when passing by him on Highway 101 have thanked him for his kindness with gifts, such as a cake, hot beverages, a baseball cap and other items. But, as a social and thoughtful person, Lewis’ primary goal is to make people happy, said Sue Spivey, director of health services. “That reward is enough for him; any- thing else is like icing on the cake,” she added. AND A football teams, and he participated in several other sports, VXFK DV EDVNHWEDOO DQG WUDFN DQG ¿HOG Black and white photos of Lewis show him, as a younger man, donning his foot- ball uniform or wearing a letterman jacket. He graduated from Ohio State Univer- sity in the 1960s and soon after was draft- ed by the Army and went to Vietnam. He IXO¿OOHG D PDQGDWRU\ IRXU\HDU PLOLWDU\ stint and re-enlisted for two more years. He wasn’t injured and he doesn’t feel he was psychologically impaired from the experience either. For his service, he re- I SM ceived a National De- fense Service Medal; a Vietnam Service Medal; a Vietnam Campaign Medal; a Bronze Star Medal; a Meritorious Unit Commendation em- blem and others. He moved to Florida in his late 20s and lived there for about 30 years, during which time he designed dozens of build- ings as an architect. His work spanned single- and multifamily dwellings, con- dominiums, commercial buildings, ten- nis clubs and more. His portfolio includes the World Tennis Center in Naples, Fla., and the Shipps Landing Condominiums Getting to know Gary Lewis was born in Ohio in January 1946 to Francis Harvey Lewis Jr. and Gladys Katherine Title. He was a star quar- terback on both his high school and college KATHERINE LACAZE — EO Media Group A collection of photographs of Gary Lewis, a resident of Avamere at Sea- side, through the years. Lewis is a former high school and college foot- ball quarterback and Vietnam War veteran. JAZZ E L in Marco Island, Fla. Lewis moved to Oregon about 13 years ago. Lewis is an avid sports fan and he sticks to his roots by following the Cleve- ODQG%URZQV+HDOVRKDVDQDI¿QLW\IRU the Florida manatee, which is evident through his many decorations, including D WKURZ SLOORZ DQG ¿JXULQH WKDW GHSLFW the animal. He even has swum with man- atees before, he said. N a nc y King S tev e C hris to ffers o n In the M c T a vish Room 2 PM Sustaining a smile Lewis suffered a debilitating stroke in 1980 that impaired his ability to speak ex- cept for a few words. His mind, however, is sharp and he has no problem comprehend- LQJDQG¿QGLQJDOWHUQDWLYHZD\VRIFRP- municating. He has carefully preserved many aspects of his past in photographs, documents and other mementos, which he can refer to when sharing his story. A family tree, for instance, links Lewis as a second cousin seven times removed to George Washington. His collection of keepsakes also includes a copy of Eddie Robinson’s “Lucky Me,” signed by the famous baseball player, and a book about Oregon that he received as a thank you for volunteering at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin. Together, these and other personal items combine to create a portrait of who he is. Others might have succumbed to an DIÀLFWLRQ WKDW OLPLWHG WKHLU VSHHFK DQG motion, but not Lewis, Spivey said. He maintains a cheery disposition and strives to be as independent as possible. He likes to dress nicely and be clean shaven. He doesn’t struggle to assert autonomy — he’s well-known and liked in and out of the facility, Spivey said. Other patrons and staff members described him as friendly, social and “a love.” “We’re quite fond of him,” Spivey said. S unda y • M a y 3 $20-$25 Tickets available at the Liberty Theater Box Office or through Tickets West