Jeffery Paul Lewis

Jeffery Paul Lewis passed away on Sunday, November 6, 2022. Having decided to end treatment of a variety of health issues only a couple of days earlier, Jeff passed in his Wilsonville home with several of his many loved ones at his side. He was 41 years old. Born in Tillamook, Oregon on June 22, 1981, Jeff was an avid hunter. Frankly, he liked just about any outdoor activity and, being a thrill-seeker at heart, the more dangerous the better. He shot guns, drove go-carts (really fast ones), and engaged in paintball wars. Jeff was always in motion…literally. Moss never had a chance to grow on Jeff, he wanted variety…lots of it. His work career proved it. Jeff held many jobs in his life, all of which involved the use of his brain and his hands. He was VERY creative, a little more color on that in a minute. At age 16 he was remodeling houses. When he was 18, he took a job at Wilco Farm Store. By the time he was 20, he had moved to California where he had worked for a contractor installing shelving, racking, and cabinetry in various “big box” stores all across the country. Needing a change of scenery, Jeff up and moved to Alaska to go to work for his Uncle Bert at Worldwide Movers. Missing home (and needing another change of pace) Jeff moved back to Oregon where he decided to become a truck driver. At first, it was a cement truck, and then he moved on to long haul rigs, working for Walsh Trucking and then Redmond Heavy Hauling. It was then back to construction. At age 28 he took a job with Woodburn Construction for a couple of years. Next, it was road construction: he worked for some time as a flagger. As his health began to fail him, he took a job doing maintenance at Charbonneau Country Club, where he worked until he could no longer tolerate its physical demands. To give you a better idea of Jeff, perhaps a sampling of his family’s thoughts: Brother Eric: “Jeff lived his life on his terms and by his rules.” Brother Shawn: “When I think of Jeff, I would say he is someone with a HUGE heart, willing to give away his last dollar to almost anyone. He is strong-willed and physically strong…oh, and stubborn.” Said aunt Lynda: “Jeff was able to see beyond a person’s appearance…he went deeper. If there was someone less fortunate or in distress, it wasn’t unusual for Jeff to take action and help them. I loved to watch Jeff with Azlyn (Jeff’s daughter). I would describe it somewhat like knighthood. He had this protective aura about him, when it came to her (his whole family, really!). He was always teaching her something new.” Cousin Desiree said, “Jeffery was more than just my cousin: he was like a brother to me. He had a protective spirit about him, and I knew that when Jeff was around, I was always safe.” And, Cousin Kimberly, “Jeffy loved and protected fiercely.” More on Jeff’s creativity. Jeff was a tinkerer in the grandest sense. He could, and did, seemingly build whatever he wanted from a box of odds and ends. His mom called him MacGyver. If she mentioned, even casually, that she was in need of some device or tool, Jeff would disappear to the garage and return with some contraption fashioned just for the task at hand. That creativity was also seen in the kitchen. Jeff loved to cook. Sometimes in the kitchen, yes, but just as often standing at the smoker. Smoked Salmon seemed to be his favorite. He made it in lots of different ways, experimenting with different spices and herbs. And, it was the sharing as much or more than the creating that meant the most to Jeff. His creativity, and perhaps more importantly, who he was and HOW he was, are but a couple of the many reasons that there will be an empty space, where Jeff stood, in the lives of those he leaves behind. Jeff is survived by his mother Cynthia Aerni of Wilsonville, his father Carl Lewis of Wenatchee, his brothers Eric Jacob (and Karey) of Bend and Shawn Lewis of Molalla, his daughter (the apple of his eye) Azlyn Lewis and her mother Britney of Tigard, and grandfather Gus Aerni of Sherwood (Gus subsequently passed away on November 21, 2022), and, being from a very large family, dozens and dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces. A Celebration of Jeff’s Life will be held for family and friends at 2:00 pm, on December 3, 2022, at the Charbonneau Country Club in Wilsonville.

Jeffery Paul Lewis

June 22, 1981 - November 6, 2022