Michael "Joe" Lewis |
| Posted 2018-08-06 by Pat R |
| Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona) Wednesday, May 10, 2017, p. A-5 Michael "Joe" Lewis passed away on May 3, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Leslie Lewis; son Cooper Lewis (Billie Jo Spillane); daughter Taylor Carter (Randy Carter); mother Barbara Williams (Ernie Williams); father Perry Lewis (Lynne Lewis);and brother Perry Donathan Lewis (Victoria Lewis); and three grandchildren Kason and Mccray Carter and Reagan Lewis. Joe was born in Espanola, N.M., on Feb. 7, 1962, to Perry and Barbara Lewis. He spent most of his childhood on a ranch in Mancos, Co., where he grew up with horses, 4-H and country life under the rim rocks of the San Juan National Forest. He loved Colorado, but upon graduation from high school, moved to Las Cruces, N.M., to attend New Mexico State as an "Aggie". He followed in his dad's footsteps obtaining a bachelor's degree in agriculture and a minor in business. Later, he would work toward his master's degree in business in Arizona. While attending college, he met the love of his life, Leslie. They were married in July of 1983 and upon graduation, moved to Tucson to build their life together. Joe has a successful landscape business, Old Adobe Landscape, where he worked on residential and commercial projects such as the Arizona State Office Building and the Ronstadt Transit Center. He also became proficient in landscape design, working closely with renowned landscape architect Mary Rose Duffield. It was during this time that he and Leslie were blessed with a son and then a daughter. He adored his children and became a wonderful and loving father. In 1993 he accepted a job with Del Webb, Sun City West to start their in-house landscaping division. He built a successful program with 85 employees and had the opportunity to fly to several Del Webb communities around the country to help them build their programs. It was this move that brought Joe and his family to Wickenburg. It was his love of horses and small town life and values that helped him choose Wickenburg as his home. He wanted his children to have the same lifestyle he had been blessed with and valued so very much. He lived in Wickenburg for 25 years. Joe got his family involved in Wickenburg Saddle Club. He was passionate about teaching his kids to love horses. It was important to him that kids learn not just to compete in events, but that they learn to understand and form a friendship and bond with their horse. He held several offices such as junior leader and president for the club, also teaching his kids to "give back." After eight years with Del Webb, Joe decided to once again become a business owner, starting Desert Concepts Landscape and Design in the year 2000. He loved his work. He loved the whole process of meeting the client, designing their work and seeing the finished product. Many of his clients became lasting friendships. He was very creative and left beautiful work throughout Wickenburg. Joe loved his crew and saw them and their families as extended members of his own family. Many were with Joe for 17 years with their children growing up and coming to work with him. He was honored and blessed to have known and worked with each of them. It was important to Joe to give back to his community. He served on the board of the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce for several years, the ADOT Transportation Committee, and most recently the Town's Economic Development Advisory Committee and the "Tree City, USA" project. At the end of Joe's life, he is most remembered for his deep and lasting love for his family. He and Leslie were married 34 years. During this time he and his family enjoyed countless hours riding horses, snow skiing, jeeping, camping and scuba diving. We were able to travel to 49 states by travel trailer each summer building lasting memories. During these summers we explored the history of our country visiting battlefields, museums, oceans, mountains, cities and most of the national parks as well as many trips to other countries. Joe commented many times on the blessed life he had been given. He became a "Gee-Pa" in 2012. Kason, Mccray, and Reagan were the most recent blessings in his life and he loved them dearly. Joe loved the Lord with all his heart and made Wickenburg Bible Fellowship his church family. We are all comforted in the knowledge that he is resting in the loving, peaceful arms of his beloved Savior. In the end it was this kind and gentle man who blessed our lives so generously and deeply. It was a struggle for Joe to decide which he loved more, the mountains or the desert. Both had their place in his heart. He will make his final resting place where he started his life, in Mancos with the Lewis family. A celebration of life was held May 7 at Wickenburg Bible Fellowship. Friends may offer online condolences at www.wickenburgfuneralhome.com. Arrangements were under the direction of Wickenburg Funeral Home & Crematory. See Also: Find A Grave |
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