Captain Gordon Andrew Lewis, 36, of Blackberry Circle, Colchester, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, February 6, 2009. Born in Burlington on November 12, 1972, he was the son of Lynn Jr. and Lucille (Hudon) Lewis.
Gordon was a 1991 graduate of Harwood Union High School in Duxbury and continued his education, first at Vermont Technical College where he received his associate's degree in civil engineering, and then graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1997, receiving his bachelor of science in civil engineering. His engineering career began with Dufresne-Henry Engineering, where he worked for 10 years, and then later worked for a private contractor at the Air National Guard Base in South Burlington as a project manager. Currently he was employed by the Vermont Army National Guard as a pre-deployment training evaluator stationed in Jericho.
Gordon also had a career with the Vermont Army National Guard, entering as an officer candidate on June 18, 1998, and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 2000 as an armor officer. His assignments over the past eight years were primarily with the 1-172 Armor Battalion based in St. Albans. Gordon was deployed with his battalion, which was designated as Task Force Saber in Ramadi, Iraq, from 2005 to 2006 to support the global war on terror. During his deployment he served the Task Force as a Mortar Platoon leader and then was promoted to HHC Company executive officer. Upon returning from Iraq, Gordon was promoted to the rank of captain and was assigned as commander of Delta Company, Forward Support Company, 186 Brigade Support Battalion in Swanton. Captain Lewis's career awards included the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf and the Bronze Star.
A lifelong sports enthusiast, Gordon was a member of the high school varsity teams of hockey, baseball, cross country and soccer. While in college he played baseball, volleyball as well as rugby.
Well loved and respected by family, friends and peers, Gordon will be remembered for his love and devotion to his son, Jacob; his fiancée Carrie and her two children, Megan and Ciera, whom he thought of as his own.
In his leisure time Gordon enjoyed hunting, coaching Jacob's T-ball team in Richmond, enjoying Megan's youth soccer games and helping with Ciera's youth hockey team, playing rugby with the Burlington Rugby Club, summer baseball, and hockey with the Defenders and Enforcers Team. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycle, playing guitar and singing, martial arts as well as training and competing his field dogs. Gordon was a member of Winooski Lodge 49 F&AM in Waterbury.
He is survived by his son, Jacob Lewis of Richmond; his fiancée, Carrie Lacaillade and her two daughters, Megan and Ciera, all at home in Colchester; his parents, Lynn and Lucille Lewis of Duxbury; his maternal grandmother, Ruth Hudon of Duxbury; five sisters, Lucinda Clark and her husband Randall of Duxbury, Bonnie Kerin and her husband Ron of Waterbury Center, Merry Baker and her husband Jeff of Jericho, Joan Haskins and her husband Jeffrey of Duxbury and Sue O'Brien and her husband Chris of Waterbury Center; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Gordon was predeceased by a sister, Holly Jean Lewis, and a brother, Scott Franklyn Lewis.
Friends called at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Waterbury on Tuesday, February 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. A service celebrating the life of Captain Gordon A. Lewis was held from the church on Wednesday, February 11, at 11 a.m. with a reception following in the church dining room. Inurnment with full military honors will take place this spring in Hope Cemetery, Waterbury. The family requests that flowers be omitted; rather memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Vermont National Guard Charitable Trust Foundation, 789 Colchester Road, Colchester, VT 05446. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com. Assisting the family is the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury.
