Arthur (Art) Joseph Lewis, 75, of Plano, TX, passed away Thursday, April 10th, 2014.

Born in Boston, Mass. on July 8, 1938, Art loved building WWII combat aircraft models as a boy. This fascination led to an interest in the Air Force Academy in high school, and in 1956 he was appointed to the Academy's second class. We, his classmates, quickly recognized his athletic skills as he excelled in every physical activity we were directed to perform. Those athletic skills coupled with his strong competitiveness served as a hallmark to push each of us to perform at higher levels that initial summer.

Throughout next four years he developed as a strong military leader and student athlete, earning an engineering degree and competing as a gymnast and cheerleader. Following graduation, Art decided to pursue a career in missiles. After initial training, his first assignment was on a Titan II Combat Crew, 451st Strategic Missile Wing, Lowry Air Force Base. His follow up assignments included the 6555AerospTestWg Patrick Air Force Base and duty at Los Angeles Air Force Station. Following Squadron Officers' School, and graduate study at Harvard University, he completed his military career at Strategic Air Command Headquarters in Omaha, Neb.

It was in Omaha that Art met his wife, Patricia. They were married on April 17, 1971, and shared 43 wonderful years together. One year later, in April 1972, Art resigned from military service as a Major, prepared to enter civilian life and begin a family. In 1976, he joined Hewlett-Packard in Waltham, Mass. where he managed medical instrument manufacture. Art and his family moved to Plano, Texas in 1981, where he was logistics manager for a telecom firm, called Intecom, for 22 years. As a manager, he was known for his work ethic, ingenuity, and his genuine warmth and caring.

Art spent his retirement years enjoying his interest in computers, actively practicing his Christian faith by serving on prayer teams and other ministries in the United Methodist Church, tinkering with projects around his house (as well as his children's houses!), and keeping up with colleagues and friends from both Intecom and the Air Force Academy.

Most of all, in retirement Art devoted himself to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was his grandchildren' biggest fan and photographer, cheering for them at virtually every game and capturing images of their exploits. Art loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor, which shined around his grandchildren; he is affectionately known by them as "Silly Dada" because of his jokes and antics. Each summer, Art and Pat took all of the children and grandchildren to the Texas coast for a week together on the beach. Those weeks were the highlight of his retirement years.

His family and those who knew him describe him as a person full of joy, kindness, and gratefulness. Art embraced every day with an appreciation for life and all of its gifts.

Art is survived by his wife, Patricia Lewis; son Andrew Lewis and his wife, Sondra, of Carrollton; daughter Rebecca Langevin and her husband, Dennis, of McKinney; and grandchildren Nathan Lewis, Jared Lewis, Sara Lewis, and Danielle Langevin.

Art is also survived by his sisters Grace Tymann of Byfield, Mass., and Ruth Trites of Kennebunk, Maine.

(Art's daughter Rebecca [Becky] Langevin)