Arrangements have now been announced for JL Lewis, the Emporia native that turned his love of golf into a career on the PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour.
A memorial service will be held at 2 pm Jan. 10 at St. Luke’s on the Lake Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. Memorial contributions can be made to the First Tee of America, Flatwater Foundation or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Austin chapter.
Lewis was 59 when he passed away on New Year’s Eve. He had been battling multiple myeloma, a form of bone cancer, for several years before his passing.
Lewis had an impact on the golfing world that went beyond his playing career. Emporia Golf Course professional Marcus Erkel says Lewis had the chance to live a lot of golfers’ dreams by playing on the PGA tour. Erkel also says Lewis’ career as a golf professional was notable because he was respected as an instructor for good reason.
Erkel says Lewis’ success on the tour can serve as an example for people who live in smaller communities that they can also have success regardless of their circumstances.
KVOE station owner Steve Sauder said Lewis, an Emporia High Hall of Fame inductee, loved Emporia even though his career took him to Texas. And Lewis was part of select company as a golfer.
A PGA Tour professional since 1984, Lewis won the Honda Invitational in 1997 before his two official PGA wins, the John Deere Classic in 1999 and the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania in 2003. He had been a member of the PGA’s Champions Tour since 2010.
Lewis is survived by his wife, two children, three grandchildren, his father, a sister and several other relatives.
5:30 pm Wednesday: Two-time PGA event champion JL Lewis succumbs to bone cancer
Two-time PGA event champion and Emporia native JL Lewis has passed away.
John Lee Lewis, 59, had a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, and succumbed to the disease on New Year’s Eve according to his social media.
Lewis’ PGA Tour career started when he turned pro in 1984. He won the Honda Invitational in 1997 before his two official PGA wins, the John Deere Classic in 1999 and the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania in 2003. He qualified for the Champions Tour in 2010 and had his best finish the following year when he tied for sixth at the SAS Championship. He participated in nine tournaments in 2012 before the cancer was announced, according to the PGA.
An Emporia High graduate, Lewis attended Texas State before turning pro. Besides his career as a PGA golfer, Lewis also formed his own golf academy at Avery Ranch and Teravista Golf Club in Texas. He also worked as a professional at several courses.
Funeral arrangements are pending.