Obituary of William V. Lewis

William Vaughan Lewis, Jr. passed away November 18, 2011, of respiratory failure from pneumonia. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Naomi Jean Lewis (Williams), sister-in-law Margaret Ann Lewis (Walker) and five children, Linda Zvonar (David), William V. Lewis III, Samuel David Lewis (Lea), Timothy Alan Lewis (Christine) and Richard Martin Lewis (Anna) and 11 grandchildren (Seth, Amy, Noel, Andrew, Laura, Quinn, Rebecca, John Richard, Madeleine, Audrey, and Mary Isabelle). Mr. Lewis was born in Carrollton Georgia on December 25, 1921 to William V. Lewis, Sr. and Susie Estelle Bass and was preceded in death by his siblings Carolyn Croft Lewis (Milstead) and John Richard Lewis. He grew up in the Fountain Heights area of Birmingham, attended Phillips High School and attended Birmingham Southern for two years. During the war, he was a surveyor in the coal mines around Birmingham and later graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 1946. He taught History and Spanish in Andalusia for two years and returned to the University to obtain a Masters Degree in History. He then met Naomi at Miss Nellie’s Boarding house in Talladega and they were married at her parent’s home in Ensley, Alabama, on January 27, 1950. They resided in Talladega all of their married lives. He was a dedicated husband, father and son. He taught Sunday school for 12 years at First United Methodist Church in Talladega and learned a powerful sense of duty from his Southern history and was part of the greatest generation. Mr. Lewis began as a history teacher at Talladega High School in 1948. He became principal of Dixon Junior High School in 1949, was promoted to principal of Talladega High School in 1954, and he remained principal until 1972 when he was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of City Schools. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1986. He continued to teach as a history professor and the Director of Gadsden State Community College in Talladega until 1988. He touched the lives of many students and teachers during his life and will be missed most by his family as a blessed peacemaker. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday on Christmas Day.