Jack Larry Lewis

Jack Lewis, 86,passed away on October 29, 2020, after a prolonged illness. The following was written by Jack in his own words: Jack was a child of the era of the Dust Bowl and Depression, having been born on December 3, 1933, on a farm near Bladen, Webster County, Nebraska. When he was three years of age his parents moved the family to a farm abutting the Platte River south of Chapman, Nebraska. He commenced his schooling in a one room, 8-grade, rural schoolhouse near the family home. At age eight, he started his third grade in the Chapman, Nebraska Public Schools. In 1946, at the age of 13, the Lewis family moved to Chapman. Upon graduation from Chapman High School in 1951, he began college that same year at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1953, he was drafted into the U.S. Army between his sophomore and junior years and was discharged in 1955, during which he served 16 months in Germany. After returning to college in September, 1955, he was united in marriage to Donna Doering, formerly of Albion, Nebraska, on March 24, 1957, to whom, at the time of his death, he had been married for 63 most loving years. Jack graduated from Wesleyan in June, 1957, and commenced his legal education at the University of Nebraska from which he received an LLB degree in 1960. (The University later redesignated an LLB as a Juris Doctorate degree). Upon graduation from the University Of Nebraska College Of Law, Jack and Donna moved to Great Falls, Montana, where he became employed by the law firm of Jardine, Stephenson, Blewett, and Weaver. In 1966, he was made a partner and was a partner/director until he retired from the practice of law in 2007. The primary areas of law practiced by Jack were insurance, construction, and litigation. Prior to, and at the time of his death, he had been admitted to practice before the Montana Supreme Court, all Montana state district courts, the Montana Federal District Court, the United States Claims Court, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Jack also had considerable appellate practice having appeared in the Montana Supreme Court numerous times and a number of times in the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jack was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church of Great Falls, and was an Elder in the church. He was also a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Great Falls (president in 1991-1992) and had been president of the Great Falls Figure Skating Club and of the Great Falls Beautification Association. He was a private person who sought excellence in the practice of law, and except for his desire to get moving in the mornings to pursue pending matters, he was a restrained/reserved introvert who never sought honors, office, recognition, publicity, or acclaim, and disliked engaging in small-talk and chats on the telephone. He sought to be totally thorough, honest, ethical, and honorable in his personal and professional endeavors, and was of the "old school, who loathed attorney advertisement and client solicitation by members of his profession. He had a penchant for being on time and often said "punctuality is next to Godliness.” Jack particularly enjoyed being with his wife, whom he dearly loved, and their many travels to and throughout Europe. Two of his most memorable journeys were when they piloted their rented boat down the DuMidi Canal in France, and their two- week train trip from London to Warsaw, Poland, and on to Vladavostok, Russia, and flying back to Moscow, Russia, and to London. He also enjoyed spending time at the family cabin at Lindbergh Lake. Survivors of the immediate family include his wife, Donna; children, Lori (Bob) Mai of Lewiston, Idaho, and Janna (Dan) Higbie of Hayden, Idaho; grandsons, Ryan (Kate) Mai of Spokane, Washington, Kyle (Kayla) Mai of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Tyler Higbie of Spokane, Washington; and granddaughters, Casey Mai of Bozeman, Montana, and Erin Higbie of Portland, Oregon. In addition to his wife, Jack dearly loved his daughters and grandchildren. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Vaughn and Mabelle Lewis of Grand Island, Nebraska; and sister, Willa (Jim) Fishburn of Chapman, Nebraska. Cremation has taken place and at his request and direction there is to be no funeral or public postmortem services. Any memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church of Great Falls (1315 Central Avenue, Great Falls MT 59401); Tunnel to Towers at tunnel2towers.org; the Wounded Warrior project at support.woundedwarriorproject.org; or the Swan Valley Q.R.U Emergency Services (6764 Hwy. 83 North, Condon, MT 59826). The family would like to thank all the doctors, surgeons, and nurses who generously cared for Jack in his later years, and a special appreciation to Gore Hill EMS.