Ssgt William "Bill" Lewis, Usaf, Ret.

William Gilbert Lewis (Bill), 88, Gatesville, Texas, passed away, Saturday, August 18, 2018.

A celebration of life service will be held at 10 am, August 27th at Scott’s Funeral Home, 1614 S FM 116, Copperas Cove, TX. Pastor Roy Harris will be officiating. Burial will follow at Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 pm to 4 pm, August 26th at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Central Texas Hospitality House.

Bill was born September 29, 1929, in Enfield, North Carolina, to William Clodis and Lizzie (Petway) Lewis. Weighing less than three pounds at birth and sleeping in a shoebox in the top dresser drawer, Bill entered the world very fragile.

He soon took on the world by enlisting in the Air Force in 1946 at just 17 years old. While stationed in Alamogordo, NM, he met the love of his life and on November 4, 1949, he married Anna Mae Poffenbarger. They also welcomed their first child just over a year later. As a military family often does, the Lewis’ moved to many different duty stations to include Baltimore, MD where they added their second child and Anchorage, AK where their last child was born.

After settling down in San Antonio, TX and planting some roots, Bill retired from the Air Force in 1967. There he and his family became involved in their community by helping grow the very tiny 3-bedroom house serving as Eisenhower Rd. Baptist Church into the thriving ministry you see now. Their love for others could be seen through their work as VBS, Bible study, and Sunday school leaders. He had a passion for horses, which led him to become a member of the Sheriff’s Posse and participate in many trail rides. He also took part in the San Antonio Rodeo by volunteering with the EMS unit along with showing his own horse, Racer, in the Stake races.

His love of animals was evident through the many horses, chickens, geese, cows, peacocks, and turkey at their home. In order to grow their farm, Bill and Anna moved to Central Texas in 1984. There they became members of Pearl Baptist Church, where Bill became ordained as Deacon, and First Baptist Church of Gatesville. As a bus driver, he was loved by the Evant school district for delivering the special needs children to and from school. To show his love and compassion for others, he became one of the founding board members and Chairman of the Board of the Central Texas Hospitality House, a home where families of inmates could get a meal and some sleep while visiting their relatives serving time in the Gatesville prison. In 2002, they took on the pleasure of helping raise their grandson, Buddy, who brought so much joy and energy to their lives. Bill was proud to have family and friends around and loved to host birthdays and holidays at their home.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Lizzie, and twelve brothers and sisters and some nieces and nephews.

He is survived by his wife Anna Mae Lewis and children; Audrey Murldean Brown and husband Kyle, William (Sonny) Gilbert Lewis, Jr., and Mary Elizabeth Hope, grandchildren and spouses; Tricia Alexander (and Steven), Rachel Sizemore (and Robert), Kaylene Hope, Kyle Brown Jr., Michelle Sayers (and Travis), Candice Mieras (and Robert), and William (Buddy) Lewis III and great-grandchildren; Samantha, Mathew, and Kaitlyn Alexander,  Michael, Heather, Clarissa, and Coleton Sizemore, Shelby and Shannon Sayers, Jaidan and Bryton Mieras and many nieces and nephews.