In Memory

Lewis Eng

Lewis Eng

Lewis Eng passed away at his home in Hayward CA on April 28, 2009. Lewis was born June 25, 1946 and a 1964 graduate of Lewis & Clark High School, Spokane WA. He was married to Kathryn Fong Eng for 37 years and had five children: Kristen Eng Popper (Jason), Adam, Erin, Christopher, and Alexander, and one granddaughter, Jaelyn Eng Popper. He is survived by sisters Carol, Rita, and Rose, and many nieces and nephews. Lewis dedicated his life to being a supportive husband and father and spent countless hours gardening, reading literature, enjoying music, and playing tennis. He loved and revered nature through camping, hiking, and canoeing. He left a legacy of public service in his 38 years of work as a clinical pharmacist with the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health.



 
go to bottom 
  Post Comment

11/01/13 10:19 AM #1    

Mike Dirks

Lewis Eng taught me an impotrant life lesson.  He taught it to me on a daily basis for most of six years and especially in Spokie's homeroom where we were two of five Libby kids.  The lesson he taught might have been included in the social studies curriculum, it should have been, but I don't remember it there.  It would have just been words anyway.  While Lewis taught me this lesson over and over, I probably understood it in a day or two, a week at the most.  But I'm glad he kept teaching it.  Not that he realized that he was my teacher or that I was his student.  His lesson has helped me as a husband, a father, and as a teacher first in the inner city of Seattle, then in Bangkok, and now back in Spokane at SFCC almost 50 years since our last session.

The lesson Lewis taught was simple, as most good lessons are.  It was just this: To be a regular nice guy, a friend you could rely on and a person you wanted to be around you didn't have to ancestors whose origin was the continent of Europe.  They, and you, could from anywhere at all.  Lewis was not a hyphenated American, just an American, just a fellow human being.  If I wanted to share a happy moment or a frustration in my adolescent journey, who better to go to than Lewis Eng.  He could encourage my joy , sympathize with my sorrow, or just be there nodding and smiling at each small victory or minor defeat in the process of trying to grow up.  Lewis was a funny guy, not in my Jonathan Winters over-the-top way, more like Bob Newhart or Jack Benny.  He was subtle and secure, where I was sometimes at least brash and uncertain.  But most of all he was just a regular, good-natured friend who was always there, maybe in the background, but always there.

His Tiger yearbook comment to me was classic Lewis Eng: "Mike, you may call it fun knowin' yourself, but others might disagree.  I'm not one of them..."  He signed it Lewis and Clark Eng and then lightly crossed out the "and Clark."

Now fast-forward 32 years and my own son Robert is a senior at LC.  Most of his friends are fellow seniors, some more pleasant to be around than others.   But there were a few underclassmen in his circle, usually because of some shared interest.  One of Robert's passions was music and one of his younger musician friends was Matt Eng, Lewis' nephew.  It always pleased my wife and myself when Matt came over.   He was low-key, but thoughtful.  He was kind and a good listener.  I think Robert really liked having him around.  He was one of the gang, a regular guy.  And he reminded me of his uncle Lewis who I hadn't seen since the day we graduated and will never see again.


11/04/13 03:18 PM #2    

Larry Ardell Williamson

Mike Dirks has said it all, no truer words have been said about our friend Lewis.   Thanks for remembering how much of a special person he was...  W.


11/05/13 09:46 AM #3    

Daniel Steven Baggarley

One of the true gentleman, Lewis you will be missed but in our thoughts and prayers.

You were among the brightest in our classes and always made us better.


06/08/14 12:13 AM #4    

James Patrick Ungari

I'm saddened to hear of Lewis' passing.  I met and became friends with Lewis Eng the day his dad passed away.  As I recall we were in about the 2nd or 3rd grade together at McKinley Grade School.  I lived at the corner of 1st Avenue and Helena Street, and he lived down the street towards Perry Avenue.  I heard the ambulance coming and saw the red lights, stopping down the street midblock.  Running down there, I saw Lewis’ dad on the gurney being placed in the ambulance, and watched it speed off to the hospital.  I stayed down there and spent the rest of day playing with Lewis and later on that afternoon we were told that his dad had died of a heart attack.  Lewis, his mother, his sisters and younger brother (Joey) were the nicest people I had ever met in my life.  His mother grew beansprouts down in their basement and delivered them to the local Chinese Restaurant’s in the Spokane area.  After grade school, Lewis and I went our separate ways.  Via an internet search years back, I found Lewis working up in the San Francisco area and spent a few minutes on the phone with him.  He seemed a little subdued and we never spoke again since.  I’m sorry that we never renewed our friendship.  I was surprised to see that his younger brother Joey was not listed as a member of Lewis family on this memorial page.


06/09/14 03:14 PM #5    

Richard Gary Lambert

I have not seen Lewis since high school but I do recall what a nice individual he was. He too will be missed. It is sad to see how many from our class we have lost.


go to top 
  Post Comment

 




agape