LEWIS

Dean Wallace Lewis, 56, of Holly Hill, passed away on February 15, 2019.

Dean was born in Norfolk, VA and moved to Holly Hill as a young boy with his parents. Dean attended Holly Hill Elementary, Holly Hill Junior High and Mainland Senior High.

Dean lost a very close friend to suicide when he was only 17. Sadly, Dean allowed this loss to change the course of his life and those closest to him as he never recovered from this tragedy or sought counseling to move forward. His addiction to alcohol and self-destruction became the normalcy from that day forward.

Dean was an accomplished master welder by trade, getting his start at Smokey Yuniks with his father Ace as his teacher and mentor. He was then recruited to work for Superior Industries and did so proudly for over 35 years. The original owner, John Moseley was an important Christian role model for him, helping him in many areas of his life through the years. During his younger and happier years, Dean loved everything four-wheel drive. The trucks, the lift kits, the KC lights, the mud doggin'. The fun nights of pulling tourists out of the beach sand, making enough money to cover gas for the evening or pay for a new snatch strap. Dean loved the Smokey Mountains and the drives up and back playing Waylon Jennings and Willy Nelson songs, laughing and singing. Dean also loved water skiing on Lake Diaz, camping at Juniper Springs, canoeing down the Juniper Trail, and fishing – anywhere.

Although Dean gave his life to Christ as a younger man, he never accepted the grace and mercy offered to him while here on earth. Those who loved Dean never stopped praying for him but our prayers were answered just days before his death when a Christian doctor asked to pray for and with him in his hospital room. This doctor allowed herself to be a part of his story as Dean once again asked for redemption, forgiveness and accepted Jesus as his Lord & Savior. Satan claimed victory for 39 years but didn't win this soul in the end. For that we say AMEN and HALLELEUIAH, OUR GOD REIGNS!

We are grateful and thankful for the caring support from Ormond Memorial Hospital staff and Halifax Hospice Care who showed him that even complete strangers could care about him, to the last breath. His mama and daddy were there to pass him into the arms of Jesus.

Dean leaves behind his parents, who were his caretakers these past years, Wallace (Ace) & Patty Lewis, his son Joshua (LaTecia), along with their children Tyler and Amanze, his sons Robert and Colby, his Uncle Ronnie, Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jerry. He is preceded in death by his two cousins, Scooter and Jason, his maternal grandparents, George and Lorine, and his paternal grandparents Gilbert and Frances.