Gary Dean Lewis was born February 9, 1944 to parents Pearl (Rang) and Jesse Lewis, at the Brodhead home in Fairview MT. He attended grade school at East Fairview and graduated from Fairview High in 1962. After high school Gary joined the National Guard in which he served for eight years.
In 1966, he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life Arlys Hollom. They were blessed to be able to celebrate 50 years of marriage together. In 1966 they welcomed their first daughter Vickie into their lives and their second daughter Lisa, in 1970.
Gary worked at Cenex in Sidney, Kinsey, Miles City and Richey. He then managed Mon Kota fertilizer until September 1, 1999, when he was forced to retire after having a stroke. After suffering his stroke the one thing he looked forward to each week was his weekend outings with his daughter Lisa.
Gary's hobbies included riding motorcycles with Arlys and attending Sturgis rallies, boating, fishing, archery, hunting, photography and making agate jewelry and lamps. He especially enjoyed arrowhead hunting with his brother Brad. Gary was a jokester and loved playing pranks on his daughters and grandchildren. He had a great love for his John Deere tractors and always gave his grandchildren and great grandchildren rides on them.
Gary was a fighter and a very strong-willed man with a gentle soul and a loving heart. He fought through a heart attack this year and fought very hard the last week of his life, where he peacefully passed away at his home on Saturday, October 29, 2016, with Arlys, Rod, Lisa and Brittany by his side. Gary's sense of humor, loving heart, and kindness will be greatly missed.
Gary is survived by: his wife, Arlys Lewis, Fairview, MT; his daughters, Vickie (Dan) Howard, Livingston, MT and Lisa (Rod) Elken, Fairview, MT; his grandchildren, Danielle (Aaron) Eustice, Sidney, MT, Ashley Chizek, of Florida, Brittany and Colten Schneider, Fairview, MT, Daniel Chizek, Bozeman, MT, and Ryan Bauer, Livingston, MT; his three great grandsons, Brody, Brady and Bradley Eustice, Sidney, MT; his sister, Brenda (Bruce) Campbell, Bozeman, MT; his mother-in-law, Elsa Banyai, Fairview, MT; brother-in-law, Bob (Barb) Sunderland, Whitehall, MT; sister-in-law, Cindy Sunderland, Basin, MT.
Gary is preceded in death by: his parents Jesse and Pearl Lewis; brothers, Larry and Brad Lewis; and brother-in-law, Larry Sunderland.