Hampton, NH; E. Donald "Don" Lewis, passed away peacefully on the morning of Monday, August 29, 2022.

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, during the final year of World War II, Don grew up in a three-story home full of immediate and extended family members. Love of sports was a way of life in Waterbury, and he soon grew to love sports himself, playing pickup games as a child and earning the job of starting QB at Sacred Heart High School. His QB handiwork vaulted him to a full scholarship to Boston University to play defensive back and safety, where he studied English and started to connect with another fellow Sacred Heart High School graduate who was attending Boston College, Rosemary Gilmore, who soon became his wife.

Don secured a job as an insurance salesman at Aetna right out of school, and after marrying Rosemary, took a job transfer to Saginaw, Michigan, where they had their first son, Michael. While they met some phenomenal and welcoming neighbors in Michigan, the East Coast came calling and they moved eventually to Plaistow, NH, in the early 1970's, where they settled and stayed for almost fifty years. In Plaistow, Don and Rosemary gave birth to their second child, Mark, and a few years later adopted a baby girl from South Korea that they named Amy. Don left Aetna shortly after returning to Plaistow, joining a Cambridge-based insurance agency, Hastings Tapley, in his late-20's. That would be the last time he'd ever have to write his resume. He studied for and earned his CPCU and ARM (insurance) certifications, and then stayed with Hastings Tapley and an acquiring company, USI, for the next 45 years until his 2017 retirement. During that time, he co-led the agency with three to five other partners through all kinds of economic upturns and tailspins, serving as its CEO for over 5 years, always trying to do what was best not only for the business, but for the employees, too. And at USI, he served as President for almost fifteen years.

Throughout his adult life, Don was a doting father with his three kids, rushing home from Cambridge regularly to watch recitals, coach the kids' sports teams, carpool, drive them to look at colleges, help them study and – because he was an English major – review their college application essays a few too many times. He entertained neighbors and family (kids and eventually grandkids) with frisbees, hitting pop-ups to the kids, playing "pickle", watching football together, playing chess, racing Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars across the kitchen floor, hosting or overseeing cookouts and delivering timely humor. As the kids grew up, Don and Rosemary took up golf together, went on regular trips to St. Maartin, took long drives, bought a retirement home near the ocean at Hampton Beach, NH, and deepened their friendships across both work colleagues and their friends from Plaistow and places nearby.

Don leaves behind his wife of fifty-five years, Rosemary, three children and their families Amy (Lewis) Rushton and James Rushton of Sudbury, MA; Mark Lewis and Jan Ferrigan of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada and Michael and Barbara Lewis of Berkeley Heights, NJ; five grandchildren Ryan, Justin, Nina , Nicholas and Cosette; three siblings and their families James and Elaine (Lewis) Cavanaugh of Southington, CT, Steve and Anne (Lewis) Nilsen of Sunapee, NH and Jack Lewis of Waterbury, CT; three nieces that he adored and their families Kathy (Cavanaugh) Rickard of Southington, CT; Karen Cavanaugh of Southington, CT and Robin (Lewis) Broadus of Waterbury, CT; grand-nieces and grand-nephews; lifelong co-workers, partners and colleagues at his employers; neighbors and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to Don's Life Celebration to be held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, from 4-7pm at Brookside Chapel and Funeral Home, 116 Main St. Plaistow, NH. His Funeral will be held on Friday, September 2, 2022 from the funeral home at 8am, followed by his service at 9am at Holy Angels Church of St. Luke The Evangelist Parish, 8 Atkinson Depot Rd., Plaistow, NH. Burial will follow in the family lot at Holy Angels Cemetery, Plaistow, NH. Donations in his name may be made to Friends Forever International at https://www.ff.international 1 Morgan Way, Durham, NH 03824 or the Alzheimer's Association at https://www.alz.org 15 Constitution Drive, Suite 1G, Bedford, NH 03110. To send a message of condolence to the family or to share a special memory, please visit: www.brooksidechapelfh.com .