Lewis passed away less than a week shy of his 90th birthday, after a brief awareness that he had two separate, terminal cancers. He lived a remarkably healthy life, impacted significantly only at the very end. Those who knew him felt it was his stubbornness that kept him going for so long, because when he had his mind made up on something, there was no budging.

Anyone who knew Lewis (aka Lew or Louis) was aware of his strong life force, energy, and steady presence. After his wife, Joyce, passed several years ago, he continued to live a life of independence with meaningful routines, rarely seen without his ubiquitous hat, of which he had a continually expanding collection for all seasons and moods.

He always maintained his house and property himself, even after having had his first surgery at 88 to replace his knee. This springtime, his biggest frustration was that he couldn't get the 15' gang mowers and tractor out so he could mow the lawn. If he hadn't recently had a back injury, he would have been adjusting the mower blades, hoisting himself up on the tractor and driving around contentedly on the familiar pattern he had cut hundreds of time.

Lewis loved to work with his hands and be outdoors. He chose to make his home in the country and over the course of decades, steadily added on to the house, barns, and property. He loved to build and found great satisfaction in working on large-scale projects. He'd sit in his favorite chair during the winter, deep in thought, as he pictured what he wanted to build while envisioning the floor plans in his mind. As soon as the weather warmed up, he was digging and setting the foundation; the summer was spent framing in and completing another new room.  As with many in his generation, he was the original DIY-er, whether it be adding a new room to the house, building tree and playhouses, cutting up enormous amounts of firewood, fixing a broken wing on his plane, learning to make his own hard cider or repairing fences and tractors. He was the framer, carpenter, plumber, electrician, mason extraordinaire, landscaper, pilot, farmer — a tireless force. He created a beautiful home enjoyed by his family and friends throughout years of indoor and outdoor gatherings, and generously shared his masonry skills with others, building many fireplaces and chimneys over the years.

Lewis worked at NYSEG as a Chief Lineman for 36 years, spending his retirement years working on his property with various projects and focusing on his grandchildren, who associate him with the varied animals he got them over the years (sheep, pigs, bunnies, goats, chickens and ducks ), seeing the chipmunks take peanuts out of his hand, and watching Ethel Merman movies. He loved to eat ice cream, play cards and games (Euchre and Rummikub in particular), gather people around an indoor or outdoor fireplace, and was fascinated with large engineering feats, such as the Hoover Dam and the Panama Canal.

He was a great storyteller; just when we thought we'd heard them all, he would pull out more from his youth, from his work crew days, from all the decades of family gatherings — an endless supply of humorous pranks and amusing, unfolding events.

He was unique, a reassuring jack of all trades, full of vitality and strength, seemingly invincible, and as his granddaughter best expressed it, "a cool dude".

He is survived by his children, Eric Unselt and Stacy Wright, grandchildren Sabrina and Savannah Wright,  and younger sisters Lenore (late George) Kling and Paula (Dale) Breton.

No prior visitation and there are no memorial services.  Arrangements by the CHARLES MEYER FUNERAL HOME.   Memorial donations can be made to: Alden's Meals On Wheels, 3311 Wende Road, Alden, NY 14004.  Share your condolences at meyerfuneralhome.com