Funeral Information

Family visitation
Thursday November 5th
7-8.30 PM

LDS church
4655 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, CO
Relief Society Room

Funeral
Friday November 6th
11 AM

LDS church (address above)

Burial
Green Mountain Cemetary
290 20th Street Boulder

*In lieu of flowers, please contribute to an IRA education fund for your children or grandchildren, or donate to the LDS Perpetual Education Fund.

T. Gordon Lewis 2/26/1941 – 11/2/2009

Today we bid farewell to our loving husband, brother, father, uncle, grandpa, and friend. We will miss you! Your love and example will be with us forever.



The last two weeks have been a tremendous roller coaster. We’ve intended to update the blog, but have struggled to know what message to share. After two weeks of the toughest side effects yet, we found out that Dad’s leukemia was gone. We learned that the doctors were planning for a transplant after a 3-4 week recovery period. Dad left the 24-hour care, recovered from delirium, and his swelling improved dramatically. Those few days were filled with cautious hope, and conversation with dad. It was always refreshing when he asked if the market was up or down.



Last Sunday/Monday, the delirium began to slowly return. The doctors moved him back into the ICU, and we all wondered why he seemed to be regressing. Thursday we learned he had contracted a very serious infection called Fournier Gangrene. By Friday morning the doctors were suggesting only a miracle could stop the spread of the infection. After 3.5 months without white blood cells, 4 rounds of chemo and everything he’d been through, an infection is what we’d feared. After so many visits to the hospital where we’d washed our hands, put on gowns, gloves and masks, we knew infection was our enemy. However, we’d always assumed the Leukemia was a bigger concern.



Sara and Crosby caught a plane out Friday afternoon from New York. Dad was so happy to see Sara. One of his few moments of recognition was when he saw her and turned to Rand and said, “I’m back in my fantasty world” and Rand assured her Sara was really there. Dad’s only sibling, his sister, LaRee Sperry, came out Saturday with her son Michael. Dad recognized her as well, and chuckled with surprise when he saw her face.



We so much appreciate the fasting, prayers, notes, emails, gifts and love from all of you. When Dad’s home ward and high priest group cancelled activities and fasted on Halloween, we felt the love and support of all of you. We hoped, fasted and prayed with you for a miracle. We don’t understand why God’s will wasn’t in line with our will. We have faith in our Heavenly Father and his plan. We trust we will be with Dad again in Paradise and look forward to that reunion.



We’re appreciative of the professionals at Presbyterian/St Luke’s hospital in Denver and the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. Despite unbelievable conditions, they always treated us and Gordon with the utmost respect, patience and love.

Leukemia is an insidious disease. Chemo therapy is an amazingly difficult treatment. Such an active man spent more than 120 days in the hospital. Beyond the physical pain, he tired of the food, the routine, the interrupted sleep, lack of privacy and the utter helplessness. Gordon faced these challenges with tremendous courage, strength, patience and good humor. His passing was quiet and peaceful, and he was surrounded by loved ones. Although it was painful to witness, we will forever treasure our time with him. We visited him nearly daily for several months in the hospital. These daily interactions reminded of us his wonderful intellect, love, wisdom and support. As painful as this illness was for him, we will forever treasure our opportunity to spend so much time with him in his last months.

***This post was written by Rand.