James J. Lewis

MISSOULA – James J. Lewis, 80, of Missoula, passed away Tuesday, April 3, 2012, at Community Medical Center of natural causes. He was a retired University of Montana professor.

His family moved to Belleville, Kan., in 1933 and lived with his grandmother until 1940. He graduated from Belleville High in 1949, lettered in football and basketball, and received the Lions Club Bronze Tablet Award for outstanding scholarship and excellence in activities.

Lewis graduated from Kansas State University in 1953 and was selected as a Distinguished Air Force ROTC graduate. He received Phi Kappa Phi recognition in 1950 and was a charter member of the Sigma Chi social fraternity in 1949.

He married Dolores Bouska in 1952 and they had four sons, Kirk, Keith, Kelly and Bryan. Bryan went on to earn a B.A. and MPA from the University of Montana. Kirk earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, while Keith graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara.

After completing a master's degree in 1954, he became director of theater and dance at Hays (Kan.) High School. Ballroom dancing became his favorite form of entertainment for many years.

The next year he was called into active duty in the Air Force, first at the USAF Cambridge Research Center near Boston and then at the Air Force Academy, where he was an administrator and a first lieutenant. He helped develop the cadet selection system and was there in 1959 when the academy's first class graduated.

He completed the doctoral program at the University of Kansas, earning the Doctor of Education in college administration, and became an assistant professor at Pittsburg State (Kansas). At the same time, he was Air Force Academy liaison officer in the USAF Reserve as a captain.

From 1963-75, he was director of admissions at Kansas State University and also a professor until he went to the University of Montana to teach in the Educational Leadership Department, serving five years as department chair in the 1980s, and retired in 1994 as a full professor.

He was survived by three sons, Kirk Lewis of Northfield, Minn., Keith Lewis of Missoula and Bryan Lewis of Wichita, Kan.

A graveside memorial service was held last May in Kansas. Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home.

Read James Lewis's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.