Lewis J. Smith, 84, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, peacefully passed into eternity on Friday, July 11, 2025, surrounded by his beloved family; he was preceded by his parents, Lewis B. and Marion T. (née Murray), and his Roman Catholic faith and family were the twin rocks anchoring his life.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia L.; his brother, Michael P. (Celeste); his sister, Mary Ellen (William); his 11 children — Melissa T. (Trey), Robert M-D. (Angela), Judith M., Jason D., Louise G. (Ernesto), Dawn A. (Eric), Lewis “Sammy,” Joseph B. (Ana), Michael S. (Michelle), Noah M. (Cassidy), and Timothy C.; 22 grandchildren, including Erica (Kevin) and Adrian (Laura); and four great-grandchildren: Aurelio, Micah, Lilah, and Penelope.
Born in New York City and raised in Baltimore, he left Baltimore’s public health service to join the Army, where he served for 29 years, including two tours in Vietnam, and was awarded the Legion of Merit upon retirement; along the way he started his family, earned a master’s degree while coaching fencing at Southwest Texas State University, taught ROTC at Gettysburg College, and later drove tour buses around the Gettysburg battlefield.
A lifelong athlete, he competed for Baltimore City College (’58), Loyola (’62), and for the Army in the modern pentathlon (’65 — fencing, running, swimming, horseback riding, and marksmanship); after military service he worked as a physical education teacher in Gettysburg and Baltimore, served as athletic director for York High School, and was a referee and umpire for various sports and local youth leagues.
He loved the woods and nature, spending childhood summers without electricity in a rustic cabin on Broad Creek in Maryland and later summers with his mother’s family on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; an Eagle Scout, he supported campers for many years at Broad Creek Scout Reservation, Camp Belgrade (Maine), and Camp Tuckahoe, and he enjoyed hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail and canoeing with his children.
Devoted to charities of his faith, veterans’ causes, and Native American organizations, he was also a consummate “shutterbug” and amateur genealogist who spent his later years collecting, cataloging, and sharing family stories, images, and albums.
A memorial service and interment will take place on November 8 at Saint Francis Xavier Church and cemetery in Gettysburg; the service and reception following will be open to the public, and in lieu of flowers the family asks that gifts be made to a veterans’ organization such as the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Lew was a kind, gentle man and a wonderful role model for our son, Patrick. Lew taught him so much about appreciating nature. He was a man who truly made a difference in many lives. We send our sympathy to Lee and family.