Tom Lewis (American politician) explained

Tom Lewis
Birth Date:October 26, 1924
Birth Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Death Place:Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Office:Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida
Term Start:January 3, 1983
Term End:January 3, 1995
Predecessor:Skip Bafalis (Redistricting)
Successor:Mark Foley
Constituency: (1983–1993)
(1993–1995)
Office1:Member of the Florida Senate
Term1:1980–1982
Office2:Member of the Florida House of Representatives
Term2:1972–1980
Office3:Councilman/Mayor of North Palm Beach
Term3:1964–1971
Party:Republican
Spouse:Marian V. Lewis
Allegiance: United States
Branch: United States Army Air Forces
Serviceyears:1943–1954
Rank: Master Sergeant
Battles:World War II
Korean War

Thomas F. Lewis (October 26, 1924 – August 1, 2003) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida.

Formative years

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 26, 1924, Lewis attended the St. Edwards School and graduated from Central High School in 1942. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a gunner aboard a B-25 bomber, and continued service in the U.S. Air Force on the ground in the Korean War, being discharged at the rank of master sergeant in 1954.[1] [2]

Lewis attended Palm Beach Junior College, and graduated from the University of Florida with a business degree in 1959.

Career

For seventeen years, Lewis was an executive with the aircraft company Pratt & Whitney, followed by work in real estate investment. He entered politics in 1964 when he was elected councilman and mayor of North Palm Beach. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1972, where he served four terms, and to the Florida Senate in 1980.

In 1982, he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 12th district (later the 16th district after redistricting in 1990), defeating Apollo 15 astronaut Alfred Worden in the Republican primary.[3] He would be reelected five times before retiring in 1994.[1] [2]

Illness and death

Lewis died of heart failure following surgery on August 1, 2003, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was survived by his wife, Marian, who was also a Florida state legislator.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: Abbady. Tal. Obituary: TOM LEWIS, 1924 - 2003. 18 May 2020. Sun-Sentinel. 3 August 2003.
  2. Web site: LEWIS, Thomas F. (1924-2003). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  3. News: Worden, Koehler Defeated in House District 12. Boca Raton News. Google News. September 8, 1982. Associated Press.