Obituary : Clyde C. Lewis
Dr. Clyde Clifton Lewis, brother of Wright ("Lefty") Lewis of Stowe, Vt., died peacefully after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease on November 14. He was 77 years old and resided in Edgartown and Boston.
Born on Oct. 5, 1931, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University and Cornell University before graduating from Tufts Dental School. He was a practicing dentist and businessman in and around the Boston area for all of his working career. He was CEO of as many as eight different dental offices. He was also the ultimate sybarite. If Damon Runyon had written about New England characters, Clyde Lewis would have been his Sky Masterson. He would walk into a room and the place would light up, even during a blackout.
"Claudio," as he was also known, was a wonderful dreamer. He could have been a success on Madison Avenue or in the real estate industry. More than 50 years ago he thought of the concept of "time share" of real estate and in another field even started a business in the 1960s selling contact lenses by mail order.
He was a marvelous dancer and musician. The flute and the tenor saxophone were his instruments. He loved opera. He was an aviator, sea captain, sailor, skier, water skier, and scuba diver, and also played racquetball. Much of his adventurous life was spent on Martha's Vineyard and skiing in Stowe, Vt., as well as European locations in Denmark and his "second" country, Italy. Although he never married, he had an extended family and leaves them with the warmest of memories. They include sister Gail, brother Wright (aka "Lefty"), and sister-in-law Joyce. Nephews and nieces include Thor, Kristin and Tiger, Heidi and George, Molly and Scott, and Hillary and Jake. Friends who were a second family included Chucky, Marvy, Buddy, and Al (also known as the Braintree Bowling Team), as well as an infamous group of fellow sybarites called Rent-A-Group. A memorial service will be held in the spring on Mt. Mansfield in Stowe. The party will reflect the personality of this one-of-a-kind legend. Don't bring flowers; bring love.
