James "Jay" Chester Lewis

James “Jay” Chester Lewis, Jr. tragically lost his life on May 4th, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Christine Lewis; lifelong friend Wiebke Stelter; and his beloved dogs Sampson (Sammy) and Fozzie.

Jay spent his life growing, exploring, and expanding his understanding of the world through friends, travel, experiences, and spiritualism; blending The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path with Christian beliefs. Jay had multiple hobbies he devoted his time to, from skydiving to handmaking prayer bracelets for friends and family, Jay never stopped finding new ways to enjoy life and bring joy to others. He was passionate about photography, riding bikes, hiking, yoga, meditation, and woodworking, just to name a few. Jay was an advocate for animals, having adopted numerous dogs in his life as well as becoming a vegetarian. He was always excited to share the news of whatever new produce he was growing for himself, the most recent being ginger and wheatgrass.

His sisters thank him for being their baby brother and being a shining beacon in their life.

Those left behind to cherish his memory include his sisters; Debbie Meise (John Sr.), Linda Lewis Collins, Fay Lewis, and Melody Collie (David); niece, Erika Quesenberry (Ross); nephews, Paul Lewis, John Meise, Jr., Jacob Collie (Tanya), Andrew Collie, Michael Collins, Zachary Collie (Dana), Matthew Collins, and Mark Collie; grandnieces and grandnephews, Nathaniel, Noah, Hannah, Lilyanne, and Ethan James; numerous close friends; and his two dogs Stella and Molly.

The family will receive friends at the John M. Oakey & Son funeral home from 12-2 pm on Friday, May 10th with a funeral service to celebrate his life immediately following the visitation. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to your local ASPCA. Attached is a link to Jay’s local ASPCA.

https://www.charlottespca.org/donate

Online condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.johnmoakey.com.