Maynard Lewis "Lew" Green
June 3, 1946 ~ June 7, 2023
Born in:
Amesbury, MA
Resided in:
Arden, NC
In Loving Memory to My Husband…….
Lew and I have been married 48 years. Shortly after we were married, we came up with a loose plan of where we wanted to live. I wanted to go back to Illinois to spend time with my grandmother before she died. Lew wanted to go out to the Seattle area where he had served at McChord Air Force Base. He loved it out there. We both thought it would be fun to spend time in San Francisco. Then he wanted to move back to New England where his family lived.
Surprisingly, we did all of that except San Francisco. We nixed that because both of us liked living in the Seattle area so much.
We have lived all over the country. We met at the University of Florida where Lew majored in Journalism and History. He graduated summa cum laude and immediately got a job at the Gainesville Sun where he covered high school sports. He loved going to the games.
Soon we moved to Fond du Lac, WI for a year where I was able to get a job just by interviewing over the phone. He returned to school (Marion College) to pick up credits to become a certified teacher. While in Fond du Lac, he became involved in the local theater scene. He started out in the chorus for West Side Story and was soon promoted to Bernardo. He knew how to sing, but dancing was brand new to him.
Our next move was so Lew could take a job teaching 4th grade. He was a great teacher and the kids loved him. Teaching was easy for him, and soon he wanted more of a challenge. He took a job as associate editor for Scott Foresman working on a fourth-grade reader. He got to write several storied under assumed names.
For once, Lew and I both got tired of our jobs at the same time, and we decided it was time to move to Seattle. We had good friends (Pat and Paula) who had moved out there and we had been vacationing out there. We had some savings, so we sold our house, packed up a U-Haul and headed across the country. Lew found us a great apartment on Capital Hill in Seattle. We had a bus stop right in front of our apartment so we could easily get downtown or to the University District.
It was in Seattle that Lew got the idea to do a travel guidebook for bed & breakfast. It was 1983, B&Bs were the trendy new thing and there weren’t many books out yet, so our timing was right. Lew called and got us appointments at inns and B&B homes and arranged our travel schedule. Off we went to explore Washington and to stay free in some of the inns. He would interview the innkeepers and I would photograph the inn. We hired and graphic designer to put our first book together. Bed & Breakfast Washington turned out to be a regional best seller.
We ended up publishing 3 books together. Fairs and Festivals of the Pacific Northwest where we barely broke even. We tried one more book. This time we couldn’t afford to hire a graphic designer. I took a 6-week class from the University of Washington called “Gorilla Graphics”. I learned to spec type, size photos and the basics of layout. Our last book, Classic Resorts and Romantic Retreats did well. I decided to go back to school to learn graphic design.
Lew went on to work for GTE Discovery Publications. There he edited tourism guides to Hawaii and Ohio and other publications. Next, he tried corporate work doing internal communications for Puget Power and Starbucks.
Our next big move took us to Connecticut where we reconnected with his family. It was great to be part of big loving family. We enjoyed sharing holidays and special occasions with them.
The next time the “Let’s Move Bug” hit Lew, we looked for a fun place to retire. Our research took us to Asheville, NC. We had a couple of fun years when we went to local breweries and eateries to hear free music. Lew loved going out and meeting musicians and talking to people. He was such an outgoing person.
All too soon, Lew was diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer’s. It has been a heartbreaking journey to see my smart, clever husband gradually forget words and foods and how to do everyday tasks. Finally, the disease made him anxious and agitated most of the time. His medication didn’t work. The VA did their best to find a new medication, but nothing worked for him. Finally, his team of doctors told me the next thing was to sedate him to give him some peace. By this time, I had seen that continuing to live in this state of extreme agitation was not good for him. Shortly after the sedation was begun, he was transferred to the VA hospice. He was there for one week and passed away peacefully.
Because we have lived all over the country, his family and friends are scattered across the nation. His ashes will be placed in Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, NC.
If you wish to honor Lew’s love of music, consider a donation to the Asheville School Music at www.ashevillemusicschool.org/donate. This school provides scholarships and outreach to music lovers of all ages. When donating, please include “In memory of M. Lewis Green” in the memo.
Kay Kuechenmeister Green
Services
Private Burial:
Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery
962 Old US Hwy 70
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(919) 664-1195
Thank you for your service young man, my dad was stationed at McChord AFB also but 1957 to 1959. He went in in 1946… God’s speed and God bless you and yours.
I am grateful that my life path crossed with Lew’s. His smile, and easy outgoing rock and roll personality where a gift. Big love in my heart for Lew.
Kay I can’t find the words I want to say. I will light a candle and send you love and light. Lew if free now.
My deepest sympathy, Kay…
What a gift it was to know Lew! He always had a smile and kind words for us. Thank you for sharing him with our MountainCare family.
Thankful for the time I spent getting to know you both. Sending light and love
Just received the sad news. RIP my friend!
Kay,
We are very saddened to learn of his passing. We haven’t been in the neighborhood as much lately and haven’t seen him out visiting for a while. He was a very kind soul, always cheery and talkative. His presence will be missed. You have our info if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.
My heart hurts as I just found out about Lewis — the name I knew him as when he hired me to work for him at Puget Power (now Puget Sound Energy). I count him among the few true mentors I’ve had in my life, and will always hold him in the highest regard. I’ll never forget the many lunchtime walks we would take around Bellevue, WA, talking about the Mariners, Sonics, his Gators and my Huskies.
Lewis was one of a kind. An awesome kind.