Long-time Northwest broadcaster and college instructor, John C. Lewis, passed away peacefully in hospice on Sunday, September 14, 2014.  He was born in 1929 in Seattle, Washington, lived in Walla Walla, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., Sacramento and Monterey, but his home of all homes was Lake Oswego, Oregon.  He tried to leave it several times, but was always drawn back to his little town in the trees on the lake.

He was an energetic man with a strong work ethic.  Vocal communication was always at the base of his accomplishments.  As a young boy, that was in the form of singing soprano as a church soloist for enchanted audiences up and down the west coast.  In high school, he began acting on the stage, further developed his love of music and foreign languages, and worked part-time at the local radio station.  After high school graduation came the Army, where he landed in Military Intelligence, translating Russian coded messages that foretold the Korean War. He decided not to re-enlist, and eagerly headed home to the Pacific Northwest to start his college career.

His early classical music and operatic singing studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla were highly successful, and he was headed for a life on the operatic stage.  But his trajectory was interrupted by tuberculosis, which took him to Vancouver and Portland for treatment.  While in the hospital for eighteen months of treatment, surgery and rehab, John and his nurse Linda struck up a friendship that quickly turned to romance. After discharge from the hospital, they married (they subsequently had 3 children), and John began his broadcasting career.

John spent 40 years at 6 different radio and television stations in Portland, OR and Sacramento, CA.  He was predominantly on-air talent, but also held various management positions.  These included Announcer/Program Host at KLOR-TV (Portland), Weatherman/Program Host/Booth Announcer for KPTV (Portland); News Anchor and Reporter for KOVR-TV (Sacramento); Producer/Host and Public Affairs Director for KXL Radio, and Producer/Host and Membership Director at OPB (PBS).  While at OPB, he was particularly proud to accept the 1989 National PBS Award for the Most Successful On-Air Campaign in the 1-million-plus-viewership category, beating all other major markets.  As OPB Membership Director, he said of that award, "It was my baby, and I walked tall to receive it."   He was President of the Portland Chapter of AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) for one year, and was on its Board of Directors for 17 years.

Multi-tasking was John’s specialty, so it’s not surprising that while pursuing his broadcasting career, he also poured himself into other endeavors.  He maintained his love of singing, continuing his ongoing voice training, and was a soloist for local churches for many decades.  He was an Instructor and Public Relations Consultant at Portland Community College for over 10 years.  He was a Founding Chairman of Boones Ferry Days, a summer celebration in his beloved Lake Oswego, Oregon.  He was Master of Ceremonies for many local civic events.  He was even President of the PTA at his kids’ elementary school.

John didn't have much time for recreation, but when he carved out the time, he liked to hunt and fish, and in his later years took up golf.

But it was John’s love of his work, love of Lake Oswego, and love for classical music that carried him through his long and fulfilling life.

John is survived by his wife Connie, his former wife Linda and their children Chris (Eugene), Kit (Seattle) and Jeff (Portland), and his grandchildren Amy, Stephanie, Riley and Parker.  A private service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery on September 29, 2014.