Leland Durward Lewis, Sr., 95, passed away on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 in a Columbia hospital after a brief illness.
He was born in Hemingway, SC on Christmas Day, 1921, to the late Joseph Holland Lewis, Sr. and the late Annie Sue Owens Lewis. He was a long time Public Accountant in Columbia, Charleston and Hemingway areas.
Major Lewis was a veteran of WWII. His service began in January, 1941 at Ft. Moultrie with the 263rd Coast Artillery. He went overseas in October 1943 serving in England in the 65th Army General Hospital which served the 8th Air Force. After the war her served in the SC National Guard, retiring after 24+ years of service.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1951, Durward, Susan and family settled back in Hemingway. There, in addition to continuing and growing his public accountancy, he served on the Hemingway Town Council for 4 years, then as Mayor for 12 more years. During that time, he helped usher in a period of unprecedented growth for Hemingway and the surrounding area.
Holding to his Christian beliefs, he served First Baptist Church in Hemingway as Deacon, Sunday School Teacher and other leadership roles throughout his time there. When he and his wife moved to Columbia in 2000, he continued teaching Sunday School at North Trenholm Baptist Church. He was proud of the fact that he was able to teach Sunday School classes for 71 years, up until his recent illness. Statewide, he served on the SC Baptist Ministries for the Aging for over 25 years and continued in an emeritus capacity until his death.
Surviving is his wife of 67 years, Susan Sanders Lewis; daughter, Joanne Lewis (Ken) Burghardt; son, Leland D. (Sharon) Lewis, Jr.; grandchildren, Will (Krystyna) Lewis, Christen Lewis, Jonathan (Lauren) Burghardt, Matthew (Jenny) Burghardt; 5 great-grandchildren; sister, Elizabeth Fenters.
He was predeceased by a daughter, Suzanne Lewis; brothers, Clifton and Junior Lewis; sisters, Vernelle L. Ard and Lillian L. Harrison.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM Friday in the Old Johnsonville Cemetery, 846 S. Georgetown Hwy., Johnsonville, SC 29555, directed by Morris Funeral Home of Hemingway, SC.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, December 2, 2017 in the North Trenholm Baptist Church, 6515 N. Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC 29210, directed by Shives Funeral Home-Trenholm Rd, Columbia, SC. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM till 2:00 PM, prior to the service at North Trenholm Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to: SC Baptist Ministry for the Aging, 190 Stoneridge Dr., Columbia, SC 29210.
Please sign the guestbook at www.morris-funeralhome.com