John Mosseman Lewis aka “Lew-Lew”, 66, died suddenly on April 18, 2019 in Phoenix, AZ. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He shared his kind, welcoming, and generous spirit with everyone he knew.
John was born on November 25th, 1952 in Whittier, CA to John Francis Lewis and Nancy Ganahl Lewis. He was an identical twin and one of 5 boys. Being one of five boys provided John the ability to hone his athleticism from an early age. He exceled at both golf and basketball throughout his four years at La Serna High School until his graduation in 1971.
John came to Arizona in 1972 to attend Arizona State University and was an active member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, serving as president of the fraternity in 1974. During his time at ASU, he met the love of his life, Patricia Auther. He and Patty were married on February 28, 1976 in Phoenix where they soon were introduced to something John wasn’t used to from his childhood – girls. Patty and John were blessed with three wonderful daughters in Meghan, Bridget and Kelly and John took to being a dad like he had been doing it his whole life. Through 43 years of marriage, John’s priority has always been Patty and his girls – and they were lucky to have him. His daughters went on to meet three great men of their own, all of which had the ultimate role model in John when it came to caring for the women in their lives. By giving away his daughters, John also picked up three new permanent members to a golf foursome – although he never let them win.
While John’s priority was always family, he also established a long and successful commercial real estate career in Phoenix, working for Coldwell Banker, Koll Company, and finishing at SPV Real Estate before recently retiring.
John acted as a philanthropist throughout his life; he was a beloved member of the Phoenix Thunderbird organization where he served as The Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman in 1995. He constantly dedicated his time and skills to people around him, never asking for anything in return and always with a smile. From a golf swing to a business deal, John made tough tasks look easy. His legacy lives on as a gracious host and generous friend, who carefully tended to his home and garden with the love and devotion he gave to the people whose lives he touched.
Despite all these accomplishments, John’s proudest title was “Grandpa” and he cherished every moment he spent with his 5 grandchildren; Kameron Kober (11), Claire Pfeiffer (4), Blake Kober (4), Cole Pfeiffer (2) and Molly Climo (6 months).
John was preceded in death by his parents, John Francis Lewis and Nancy Ganahl Lewis, his brother Michael Lewis, and his sister-in-law Elisabetta Lewis. He is survived by his wife, Patty of Phoenix; Daughters Meghan Pfeiffer of Virginia Beach, VA (Michael Pfeiffer), Bridget Kober of Scottsdale, AZ (Kory Kober) and Kelly Climo of Phoenix, AZ (Tim Climo), brothers Tom Lewis of Portland, OR (Mary Lewis), Stuart Lewis of Provincetown, MA (Steve Hirschboeck) and Bill Lewis of Pasadena, CA (Alyson Lewis), his in-laws, John and Sally Auther of Phoenix, and Patty’s seven siblings and their families.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm (prayer service will start at 6pm) at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 4715 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix, AZ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 10:00 am, also at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Desert Southwest Chapter of The Arizona Alzheimer’s Association at 340 E. Palm Lane #230, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Please note in the Memo “In Memory of John Lewis.”
Buzz Bartylla
A wonderful friend always glad to see you.
To be with john and patty at the 9:30 mass at the Andre house was very special
God bless john and Patty
Amy and Buzz Bartylla
Cindy Murray Harcar
My heartfelt condolences to all who loved John. I grew up across the street from five little Lewis boys and their house was always full of action. They were a wonderful family and the Murray family is heartbroken by the sudden loss of John. Big hugs to everyone…especially Stuart.
Love Cindy Murray Harcar
Greg Cochran
Patty, I am so saddened to hear about John’s passing and send my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to you and your family. Lew always brightened my day when I would see him even though not often these past years but nonetheless he always brought a smile to my face with his upbeat positive attitude. As my family and I are out of town this week please give my condolences to Stuart and Bill as well.
James Pfeiffer
To all of the Lewis family, I am devastated to hear this news. John was such a nice man. What I loved most about him was how every time I talked to him he showed such genuine interest in me with deep questions which showed how much he really cared. This was a clear sign of his character and kindness. He will be greatly missed.
Rosanne Kresser
To Patty and all of the Lewis family we send our deepest sympathies on the loss of John. though we hadn’t seen him lately, we were heartened by the loving accounts of him in his obituary of what a wonderful friend, husband ,father and grandfather he was during his life. We sincerely hope that all the fond memories of him in these various roles will help to sustain the family and close friends during this difficult time. As his cousin, I have fond memories of his childhood escapades with his twin, Stuart, and three other brothers, and of later happy family occasions as adults.
Our deepest condolences,
Rosanne and Bob Kresser
Carol Kleinberg
Patty and Family,
Our sincerest condolences to all of you. We share broken hearts.
John was a true inspiration to me. When he came into our SPV world, we never could have imagined how much he would enrich our lives. It was a synergistic partnership that many times felt like a dream. My heart skips a beat each time I pass by one of our development projects. A lot of that emotion has to do with recollections of John’s diligence, perseverance, expertise, and wisdom. He was naturally gifted, and he made us all so proud of what we were creating.
Stuart and I will never forget our Italy adventure, holiday parties, celebrations, and his recent retirement party. So many wonderful memories over 20 years, with such an extraordinary man. We are richer people having known John, and his mentorship and friendship are permanent imprints on our hearts.
With much love and peace always,
Stuart and Carol
Terry Jungels
To Patty and the Lewis family. As a far away cousin, I had only met John a couple of times but he was always engaging and easy to talk with. On random visits to the Phoenix area and reaching out to our extended family, he always had some humor and was welcoming, as was all the clan out there. We were kept up on family affairs by our Aunt Sally and Johns life and deeds were respected from afar.
Our Thoughts and Prayers are with you
Anna Jo Campbell
My mother, Cathline Scott, took care of the girls when they were young and enjoyed it so. Being the youngest and at home the most she had a strong bond with Kelly. They ate lunch together each day and always shared the vegetables Mom brought. We are so very sad for your loss. Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
gwynne fijan
Dear Patty and family,
We just learned today of John’s sudden passing. We are heartbroken and we are thinking of you and your beautiful family. We always loved John and he was such a good, good man through and through. You were all blessed that he was part of your life, and no doubt he felt he was also very blessed to have each of you in his life. May the endless, beautiful memories you each have of John, help you through your grief and sorrow. God Bless you all.
Gwynne & Jim Fijan
Kris Floor
Dear Lewis Family
I just learned of John’s passing. He was one of my most favorite clients always gracious and dealing with project challenges with a great sense of humor. He will be missed by many in the industry. Please accept my condolences during this difficult time of transition.
Best
Kris Floor