"I am honored and privileged to pay tribute to our dad, Bill Lewis. Some of you don’t know that when Bill married my mom, he took on a houseful of girls… Liz was 4, and the rest of us were entering our teenage years. It was like a sorority. Little did we all know the impact he would have on all of our lives. We didn’t make it easy for him, that’s for sure. But in just a few short years we realized what an amazing father we had and asked him to make it legal. He made us feel like it was his honor to call us his own.
We want to tell him thank you for all the memories.
Thank you for sweeping our mother off her feet. You taught us how a man should treat a woman and how a true gentleman should behave. Thank you for loving her unconditionally. We could see how much you loved her through your eyes and we will always love you for that. We loved your nicknames for her, “sweet pea” and “sweetness of my heart.” You were very protective of my mom and set the bar high for how she needed to be treated. It is an attitude we have internalized and come to love our mom so much more because of.
Thank you for all the back rubs and foot massages. Our husbands do their best to live up to the standard.
Thank you for all the family trips, whether they were to the West Coast, the East Coast, or to the Fairfield Inn 20 mins away from home. You sure loved to travel. Anytime any of us planned a trip, we always knew who to call for advice and suggestions.
Thank you for taking four miserable teenage girls (and mom) camping – we still laugh about that one.
Thank you for instilling in us the importance of a good education. You did everything you could to encourage and support us getting through college.
Thank you for the wedding toasts. Jenn will always appreciate hers.
Thank you for lessons on grilled cheeses, stick shifts, and how to make a proper hamburger patty.
Thank you for giving us jobs, teaching us the value of work. We all remember trips to SL, days spent filing and lunches with you. That was always something we looked forward to.
Thank you for opening our mother’s eyes to the opportunities available in the kitchen.
Thank you for all your impersonations.
Thank you for loving our pets. Even Emmy Lou, the cat, that rode with you partway to the church every day on top of your truck. Liz will always remember sitting around the fireplace with you giving Ally-girl pat-pats.
Thank you for your stories. You always had one to share, even though we never knew if it was true or not. You always had us laughing until it hurt. Tracie’s favorite was when you would laugh so hard you would cry and couldn’t finish your own stories.
Thank you for your enthusiasm. It was contagious.
Thank you for your testimony. We knew your love for Jesus Christ through your good works. You were always willing to help whoever with whatever. We knew you valued your membership in the church by your actions. No church calling was too small or too big for him to give 100%. Thank you for the Priesthood Blessings. We knew we could ask you anytime, day or night, no questions asked. You were always a comfort, always calm, always prepared.
Thank you for making family prayer and scripture study a priority. No matter how early in the morning.
Thank you for teaching us that if you want someone to respect you, you had to respect yourself.
Thank you, Papa Bill, for the horsey rides, the truck rides, the sword fights, the duck noises that terrified my kids, but most your grandkids loved.
Thanks for the birthday calls. Everyone loved your off-key version of Happy Birthday.
Thanks especially for snuggling my newborns. I will never forget you staying by my side in the hospital while I recovered.
I want to conclude with something Jenn wrote that expresses how we all feel:
“Only now that you are looking down from "above" you may see how much you did for me as a daughter, a wife and a mother. You will always mean more to me than any other father to his daughter. You helped me realize my true potential. And I know you are continuing your legacy.
I don't think a single one of us ever took a special talent of yours for granted. And for that, I believe we will always be blessed every day with you in our hearts.”
I am so grateful for Bill helping us understand what an eternal family means. I know he is reunited with his mom and dad and I know we will all be with him again. I’m so grateful for my Father in Heaven for making that possible and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
