Frederick C. Lewis Jr.

Portsmouth- Frederick C. Lewis, Jr., 84, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Born on January 25, 1942, in New Haven, Connecticut, he was the son of the late Frederick C. Lewis, Sr. and Catherine (McCarthy) Lewis. Fred shared 59 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Susan (O'Connor) Lewis, who passed away in April of this year. Fred was raised in West Haven, Connecticut, and graduated from Notre Dame High School with the Class of 1959. He continued his education by earning a master's degree from Southern Connecticut State College and a Ph.D. in Communication Disorders from Ohio University. Fred devoted his professional life to teaching and higher education. He began his academic career at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, before joining the faculty at the University of New Hampshire in 1976. He remained a respected educator there until his retirement in 2009. As a young man, Fred worked as a lifeguard along the Connecticut shoreline. He was a lifelong jogger and racquetball player and took great pride in having participated in the inaugural Market Square Day Road Race in Portsmouth. He continued running well into his 80s. A devoted member of the Portsmouth community, Fred belonged to the Portsmouth Athenaeum and the Portsmouth Historical Society, where he volunteered as a walking tour guide. His faith was an important part of his life, and he served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Catherine of Siena Parish and Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth. Fred also enjoyed traveling and cherished his visits to Ireland, the Azores, and destinations throughout Europe. Left to cherish his memory are his sons, Frederick C. Lewis III and his wife, Rosanna, of Maryland, and Richard Lewis and his wife, Akaterini, of New Jersey; his beloved grandchildren, Sotirios, Raymond, Michael, and Madeline Lewis; his sister, Catherine "Kate" Giordano and her husband, Frank, of Florida; his sister-in-law, Virginia "Ginny" Lewis; his nephew, Paul Lewis and his wife, Emily, and their children, Henry and Holly Lewis; and his niece, Erica Lewis. In addition to his wife and parents, Fred was predeceased by his brother, Paul Lewis, in 2025. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery, where Fred will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Susan. In lieu of flowers, donations in Fred's memory may be made to the Amedisys Foundation.

Frederick C. Lewis Jr.

January 25, 1942 - June 6, 2026