Donald Cain Lewis

Donald Cain Lewis, Ph.D., died peacefully at home in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 30, 2020.  He was 68.  Mr. Lewis was born March 5, 1952, in Canandaigua, New York, the son of Dr. Norman F. and Edith Kelsey Lewis.

The son of a veterinarian, Mr. Lewis grew up in a rural setting in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY graduating from Canandaigua Academy in 1970.  He was a member of the First Congregational Church in Canandaigua, sang in his high school choir, and was an avid skier throughout his youth. He graduated from Cornell University, where he received a B.S. in Biology in 1974.  He undertook graduate studies in Biology before changing fields and completing a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell in 1985.  

 

Mr. Lewis began his professional academic career in the mathematics department of Marquette University and subsequently held academic appointments at Cornell University and the College of Charleston.  From 1998 until his retirement in 2019, he was a software engineer with Aspect Software, Inc., in Brentwood, Tennessee, where he authored a number of patents for that company.

 

Mr. Lewis had a deep, intellectual curiosity. Academic pursuits were a lifelong passion, and he took particular delight in his collection of antique slide rules. He lived for many years in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, where he enjoyed a warm community of friends.

Mr. Lewis is survived by his daughter, Alice Kelsey Lewis, Ph.D., of Gainesville, Florida; his brother and sister-in-law, Allen and Laurie Lewis of Columbia,MD; a sister, Elizabeth Diefendorf of Bronxville, NY; a niece, Jessica Lewis (Chris) Hughes, and nephew, Kenneth Lewis; and two grand nieces. In addition to his parents, Mr. Lewis was predeceased by his brother, Edward Geer Lewis.

 

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Centennial Park Conservancy, the Sierra Club, or the philanthropy of your choice.