EUGENE L. LEWIS JR. “GENE”,
passed away on November 6, 2020, in Little Rock. Gene was man of exuberance, great passion, particularly towards family, friends, and fun, and was known for his hearty appetite for life and his love of the outdoors. Born January 20, 1941, in Little Rock, Ark., the son of Marguerite McVey and Eugene Leslie Lewis, Gene spent his childhood in Little Rock, and being part of the “lost class” of 1959, his later school years were scattered among Central, Hall, and Jacksonville high schools. He was a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of SAE fraternity, followed by almost two years in St. Louis, at Washington University medical school, before choosing real estate over medicine.
Gene’s career began at Rector-Phillips-Morse in 1965, as its first commercial real estate specialist, and he founded Lewis Realty & Associates in 1986. He developed dozens of successful projects over his five decades in commercial real estate, often utilizing the same, trusted partners on successive deals. Gene was an active member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors and had involvement with Fifty for the Future. An avid duck hunter at the Cross Pond Duck Club, and golfer at the Country Club of Little Rock, Gene’s activities were often centered around fellowship and fun with family and friends. He loved to laugh, tell jokes, raise a glass, and share stories. While often boisterous, Gene’s tenderness was seen with his family and beloved dogs, and his quiet determination was shown in fighting back from numerous health concerns.
Gene is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Ann Rector Lewis; his son, Eugene L. Lewis III (“Les”) and his wife, Courtney Warren Lewis of Atlanta, Ga; his daughter, Marcie Lewis Palecek of Little Rock, Ark; and six cherished grandchildren, to whom he was “Pardsie” – Mimi, Townsend, Rett, and Pierce Palecek of Little Rock, and Camille and Maxine Lewis of Atlanta. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carol Lewis Fox. The family would like to give special thanks to Curtis Harris, who provided excellent and attentive care to Gene over the past few years.
There will be no formal service due to COVID, but the family hopes to host a celebration of Gene when appropriate. Memorials may be made to Out of the Woods Animal Rescue of Arkansas, P.O. Box 7365, Little Rock, Ark., 72217, (http://ootwrescue.org/); or to St. Marks Episcopal Church Food Pantry, 1000 North Mississippi, Little Rock, Ark., 72207, (https://lovesaintmarks.org/). Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, RuebelFuneralHome.com.