DAVID EDWARD (TED) LEWYS

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DAVID EDWARD (TED) LEWYS On Sunday, June 19, 2011, Ted finally - after rallying briefly the morning before - succumbed to a severe case of pneumonia brought on by his COPD. He went home to his Lord and Mary-Ann at 6:30 p.m. Left to cherish Ted's memory is his son Todd and countless members of the Routledge clan on Mary-Ann's side (they know who they are; love you all). He was predeceased by his father Handel in 1945; mother Mary in 1975, and Mary-Ann, his wife of 47 years, on April 22, 2002. David Edward (Ted) Lewys was born in Swansea, Wales on April 13, 1927 to Handel Lewys and Mary Moses. When he was just one year old, his mother and grandmother immigrated to Canada, choosing Vancouver, British Columbia, as their new home. It was an idyllic setting to grow up in. Ted came to love the water - the Pacific Ocean, where he often dug for clams on the beach near his home, and the rivers, where he fished the Fraser for Steelhead salmon. Though smaller in stature, Ted was an excellent athlete, exhibiting tremendous speed and grit while excelling at rugby and hardball. An industrious young fellow, he delivered papers for the Vancouver Province, eventually working his way up to a management position. It was there that he met his wife, Mary-Ann Routledge. They married on June 11, 1955, and soon after moved to Winnipeg, where most of Mary-Ann's family resided. The couple's only child, son Todd, was born on October 8, 1964 to thrilled parents. With his gregarious, winsome personality, Ted was a natural for sales, making his mark with several Winnipeg companies before deciding to venture into business for himself in the late 1960s. He went into the janitorial field with two companies - Sureway Products, a janitorial supply company, and and Do-All Building Services, where he specialized in providing custodial services and steam cleaning carpets. Honest to a fault, Ted was a faithful husband and devoted father. Despite being busy with his two businesses, he still had time take his family camping, to the lake or to countless outings with family and friends. He also treated all he came into contact with courtesy and respect, saying that his goal in life was to treat others as he himself would like to be treated. Ted was truly a man of integrity. Over the years, the constant in his life was Mary-Ann. Ted always spoke of how lucky he was to have won the heart of such a beautiful, capable and loving soul. They went everywhere together. Though they did bicker more than occasionally - they were both highly opinionated people - their love for each other was deep. In the mid-1990s, Mary-Ann retired from her job as an office manager at a local Winnipeg company, while Ted semi-retired, preferring to stay active on the carpet cleaning side of his business. The two bought a trailer and put it in a wooded lot in Warroad campground in Warroad, Minnesota, where they enjoyed each other's company, making new friends and watching the sun set through the trees. By the late 1990s, Mary-Ann had developed health problems from a mitral valve (heart) disorder. She passed away in April 2002 due to complications from a defective mitral valve. From then on, Ted was never the same without the apple of his eye by his side. He eventually took an apartment at Kiwanis Courts on Bruce Avenue in St. James after moving there from his and Mary's previous residence, Birchwood Terrace. Though shattered by his wife's untimely death, he remained fiercely independent until June 2007, when he fell in his apartment and broke his hip. Never fully recovering from the injury, he remained at 173 Sinawik Bay - a cheerful presence to all who came in contact with him - until December 2009, when he fell again. Suffering from a mild case of dementia and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), the result of smoking heavily for over 50 years, he elected to move to Charleswood Care Home in May 2010 after a long stay in Grace Hospital. Despite his failing health - much of the last year-and-a-half of his life was spent commuting between the care home and Grace - Ted retained his sense of humour. Staff members appreciated his positive outlook and playful nature, while son Todd was amazed by his ability to recover from a series of severe health challenges. On Monday, June 27 Ted's memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. in Church of the Rock, 1397 Buffalo Place with Pastor Aubrey Krahn, presider. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? - 1 Corinthians 15:55

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 25, 2011