UNITY – Clair Howard Lewis Jr. 75, died unexpectedly Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at Maine General Hospital Thayer Unit, after an accident earlier that day in the woods in Thorndike. Born Sept. 10, 1936, in Hartland, he was son of Clair H. and Louise (Frisbee) Lewis.
In 1955 he graduated from Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield. He attended the University of Maine, Orono, where he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho and in 1959 received his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture. During and after college, Clair served several years with Maine Air National Guard. Clair married his life’s love, Mary Esther Fogg, June 26, 1965. Together they lived in Unity for the past 46 years. In his teens, Clair was very active in the local baseball league, and took pleasure in playing his clarinet in both the Pittsfield town band and the UMO band. He was an avid water-skier in his youth, and cut quite a figure as he performed water-skiing tricks. After college, Clair worked for Arbor Acres, Skowhegan, and Penobscot Poultry, Belfast. As a service man at Penobscot, Clair was instrumental in the eradication of poultry diseases by instituting sanitation procedures to prevent contamination between flocks. He later worked for many years as a lineman for Unity Telephone Co. In the late 1970s, Clair started his own business. He was known locally as a jack-of-all-trades, ranging from building roads, cutting and brokering wood, and operating heavy equipment. In 2002 Clair and his family boiled the first gallon of maple syrup at Parson’s Valley Sugar Farm, Thorndike. This was a passion of Clair’s, one he started preparing for in the early 1980s. He enjoyed the time working with family and friends preparing for each season, and was in his “Down East” element during the annual Maple Sunday Open House. Clair was an active member of the Masons for much of his adult life, raised as a full member in 1969, receiving his 32nd degree and his 40-year service pin in 2011. He was Master of the Star in the West Lodge four times, and held every office in the lodge during his time there, serving as marshall at the time of his death. He was also affiliated with Sebasticook Masonic Lodge, where he was senior warden. Clair enjoyed the fellowship he found amongst the lodge members. Clair served the town of Unity as both a selectmen and assessor. He was an active member of Belfast United Methodist Church, serving on the building and finance committees. At the time of his death he was a trustee as well. Clair enjoyed having his morning cup of coffee and socializing with his friends at The Depot, Unity, and on Sundays at Belfast United Methodist Church men’s group.
Surviving is his beloved wife of 46 years, Mary Lewis of Unity; his daughter, Barbara Jewett, her husband, Eric, and sons, Keith, Ian and Tad, of Fayette; his son, Christopher Lewis, his wife, Michelle, and children, Alinda Sullivan and Daniel Lewis, of Gorham; two sisters, Ada Mae Priest of Florida and Eleanor Wadsworth and her husband, David, of Madison; a sister-in-law, Barbara Ann Lamb and her husband, William, of Brunswick; several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held 4-7 p.m. Friday with a Masonic service 6:15 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center, Unity. A memorial service, with a reception afterward, will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Belfast United Methodist Church, 23 Mill Lane, Belfast, with the Rev. Jinwoo Chun officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the Building Fund, Belfast United Methodist Church, 23 Mill Lane, Belfast, ME 04915, www.belfastumc.org. Arrangements are with Long Funeral Home, 9 Mountain St., Camden. Condolences, photos and memories may be shared with the Lewis family by visiting their Book of Memories at
www.longfuneralhomecamden.com.