In loving memory of Rev.
Irvin Lewis, Sr
November 19, 1948 - July 5, 2010
Rev.
Lewis was born November 19, 1948 in New Orleans, LA.
Following
graduation
from high school,
he entered the United States Army on June 20, 1966 and
served more than 26 ½ years on active duty, retiring on
January 31, 1993 with the rank of Sergeant Major. Rev.
Lewis’s military experience was vast and included many
military jobs, positions and assignments such as Squad
Member / Vehicle Operator / Infantryman / Construction
and Utility Worker / Combat Engineer / Squad Leader /
Air Assault Combat Support /
Drill
Instructor / Security Guard / Test Supervisor / Atomic
Demolition Platoon Sergeant / Noncommissioned Officer in
Charge / Headquarters Combat Engineer Battalion First
Sergeant / S-3 Operations Sergeant / Combat Line Company
First Sergeant / Activated and moved the United States
Army Engineer School to Fort Leonard Wood Missouri / and
Operations Sergeant Major. He served 2 ½ years in Viet
Nam; one year on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea, and
several years in Europe.
Rev. Lewis’ last military assignment was in 1990 with
the Headquarters, 372nd Combat Engineer
Battalion at Fort Des Moines (Des Moines, IA). While
assigned to Operations area of the 372nd
Engineer Battalion, he designed, developed and
implemented a training program (Pre-Basic Training) that
assisted recruits (civilians) to transition into
military life. His unit processed members throughout
Iowa and the surrounding states of Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Nebraska, and Missouri. The training program assisted in
the preparation of recruits with regards to military
discipline and physical readiness. The training was
conducted at Camp Dodge in Johnston, IA. Other units
began to use this training technique and obtained
excellent results.
Rev. Lewis was married in August 1969 and was blessed
with 3 children: Artwin (deceased), Wanda (Kansas City,
MO), and Irvin Jr. (Raytown, MO). He also has 7
grandchildren. He divorced in 1989 and united in Holy
Matrimony to Linda M. Carter- Lewis on March 12, 2004.
He was
pursuing a dual Master’s Degree from Weber University
and has received a Bachelor Degree from Columbia
College, an Associate of Arts Degree from Central Texas
College, and was inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor
Society in 1989.
Rev. Lewis retired from the military on January 31, 1993
in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon his retirement, he began a
full-time ministry receiving his calling in 1985,
licensed in 1987, and ordained in 1989 at the First
Baptist Church in St. Robert, MO where he served as
Associate Pastor. While living in Des Moines, he served
four years as Assistant Pastor at Mount Olive Missionary
Baptist Church and became the Pastor of King of Kings
Missionary Baptist Church on September 9, 2000.
His activities
in the community included:
Director, Bible Institute of the Iowa Missionary and
Educational State Baptist Convention; Delegate, Iowa /
Nebraska State NAACP Conference of Branches; Chair, Iowa
Juneteenth Observance Parade; Member, Advisory
Committee for the Polk County Sheriff; One of the
Founding Pastors of the Eastside Ministerial Urban
Scouting Initiative (EMUSI);
President,
Black
Ministerial
Alliance of
Des Moines; Member, Executive Committee; Chair,
Religious Affairs Committee; and Chair, Freedom Fund
Banquet Committee of the NAACP Des Moines Branch;
Treasurer, African American Leadership Coalition and
Political Action Committee; Member, Eastside Union
Missionary Society; Member, Kwanzza Celebration
Committee; Member, Eastside Union Missionary Society;
Member, Prison Ministry; and Chaplin, Des Moines Police
Department.
When he passed away on July 5, Rev. Lewis was the second
person in the 20-year history of the Iowa Juneteenth
Observance Committee to have passed away while actively
serving. We are both proud of and thankful for his
service to the state community as the Chairman of the
Iowa Juneteenth Observance Parade and Coordinator of the
Eastside Ministerial Urban Scouting Initiative.
We
will miss him.
On behalf of the Iowa Juneteenth
Observance Committee,
Gary Lawson, General Chair
