Louie "Lou" E. Lewis
Dr. Louie "Lou" E. Lewis, 93, of Fulton, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at Missouri Veteran's Home in
Mexico, Missouri.
Lou was born on June 20, 1926 in Advance, Missouri to Lou H.
and Lily Stephens Lewis.
He was a 1947 graduate of Bloomfield Missouri
High School. During his junior year he was
drafted into the Navy and served from December
9, 1944 - April 19, 1946. He was a radio Seaman
1st Class. After his discharge he returned to
Bloomfield, Missouri to finish high school. He
ranked Number One in his graduating class but
since he was gone for almost two years, he was
named the Salutorian.
Lou was married to Betty Pettigrew of Jamestown, Missouri on August 3, 1952 in Columbia, Missouri and she
survives him.
Lou received his BS in Education from the University of Missouri in 1951, MEd from the University of Missouri and further
work toward his PhD. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa,an
academic honorary association.
Lou taught Social Studies and Speech at Bolivar Missouri High
School from 1951-53 and was the Superintendent of Schools at Paris, Missouri from 1954-58. While at Paris, he was the Noble Grand
of the Independence Order of the Odd Fellows. He supervised the
consolidation for the 16 rural districts into the Paris School System.
Lou was Director of Admissions at Christian College, now Columbia College, from 1958-62 and the Superintendent of Fulton
Public School from 1962-81.
Lou managed Fulton Rotary Little League baseball team, worked
with the Boy Scouts, and Chaired the United Fund Drive in 1971.
He served as the President of the Fulton Rotary Club and was an
active member of Court Street United Methodist Church where he
served on the finance and building fund for seven years. Lou was on
the Fulton City Council and was appointed to serve out Tom
Maupin's term and then elected in the next election.
He was a member of the Northeast Missouri Administrators
Association where he served as President, the Missouri State Teachers Association, the Missouri Association of School Administrators
and the American Association of School Administrators.
Lou was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from
William Woods University in 1981 and given the Fulton Sun
McCubbin Award for extraordinary service to the Fulton
community in 1981. He was a charter member of the Board of
Association of Fulton Colleges and was President for one year. He
was awarded the Pioneer in Education in 1987 and was presented
the Outstanding Education Award. He was the first Superintendent
ever to receive the award which was selected by his fellow Superintendents across the State of Missouri.
He was selected by the students at William Woods University as
the "Outstanding Educator" in 1981 and he was an Adjunct Professor at William Woods University.
Lou and the Fulton Board of Education purchased a 76 acre site
on Highway 54 North in 1963. The first phase, a Junior High
School for grades 7th and 8th was constructed and completed in
1967. The second phase, the high school was constructed and
completed on February 1, 1980.
After Lou retired from being the Superintendent of Fulton Public
School, he worked part time for Debo Funeral Home and the Pearce
Architecture Firm in St. Louis as an Educational Consultant and he
was the President of T. I. F. for several years.
He is also survived by a daughter, Sonya (Mervyn) Willoughby
of Fortson, Georgia; son, Douglas (Loretta) Lewis of Fulton; three
grandchildren, Mark, Leanne and Sam; three step-grandchildren,
Levi, Dylan and Taylor; three step-great-grandsons, Tristan, Jax and
Jase.
He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and four
sisters.
Funeral services were held on Friday, August 23, 2019 at Debo
Funeral Home in Fulton. Burial was at Grace United Methodist
Church Cemetery in Jamestown, Missouri.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Court Street United
Methodist Church, the Fulton Schools Foundation, or Missouri
Veteran's Home in Mexico, Missouri, all in care of Debo Funeral
Home, 833 Court Street, Fulton, MO 65251.
Online condolences may be made at www.debofuneralhome.com
Published August 28, 2019