Obituary of John Baer Lewis

John Baer Lewis passed away November 29, 2013, surrounded by his loving family after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 64. Born February 5, 1949, and raised on the Jersey Shore in Manasquan , N.J. , John loved the beach, fishing, basketball , and photography. He graduated from Manasquan High School, Wesley College, Dover, Del., and the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. He worked as a photographer for Life Touch National School Studios for many years before moving to Tucson in 1988, where he worked for South West Hazard Control. He later joined Astra Zeneca as a Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist, serving the medical community in the greater Tucson area until his retirement. He is survived by his loving wife of 22 years, Jean Rothbart Lewis; a sister, Kathy Lewis Bouckley, and her husband , John, of Brielle, NJ; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. A long-time member of The National Audubon Society, he will be remembered for his devotion to nature--be it the sea or the mountains and deserts of Arizona--and preserving the environment, his love of travel, and a marvelous talent for photography. The family is blessed with insightful and sensitive pictures of family, friends, and nature taken over a lifetime. He enjoyed many trips to Fiji, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, as well as family outings at the Jersey Shore and Midwest. He produced zany home videos of these trips, featuring either the antics of his dive buddies on the high seas or his nieces and nephews during family reunions at Lake of the Ozarks. A celebration of John's life will be held Thursday, December 5th, at Avalon Chapel, Adair Funeral Home, 8090 N. Northern Avenue, Tucson, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with eulogy at 6:30 PM. A private family service will be held over the summer of 2014 in Manasquan, New Jersey. The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Northwest Medical Center and Arizona Oncology for the outstanding expertise, care and constant compassion they gave John through this difficult journey. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum or a charity of your choice.