Frank & Marilyn Lewis House

Frank Lewis, the first paid Construction Manager of Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity, passed away in late November 2023 shortly after his 82nd birthday.

Frank’s service to Habitat was an expression of his faith. He always used his own truck and many of his own tools because Tacoma Habitat was a “start-up.”  To the job, Frank brought the gift of organizing and managing people. In partnership with his friend Bill Barrett, Frank started Building on Faith (BOF) at Tacoma Habitat, which brought 53 churches together for the first build in 2000. Many of those congregations continued to be involved over the years. Throughout his career, Frank was instrumental in growing Habitat from building just two homes a year to 15 by his retirement.

His capacity for teaching a person how to do something, such as mudding a wall or roofing a house was an art; it was also one of his greatest joys. Frank loved helping others improve their lives through homeownership. Seeing them learn new skills and create a stake in their own homes brought him deep satisfaction. He also fostered lasting friendships with many of the volunteers and stayed connected to them up until his passing.

Frank was blessed with a great life partner in Marilyn, who helped bring the idea of Women Build to fruition in Pierce County. Together, Frank and Marilyn put in endless hours to make it happen.

Frank’s Habitat years were some of the best of his life. He will be remembered for his joy, his generous spirit and for the sense of fun and accomplishment he brought daily to each work site. In honor of his legacy, Frank’s family and friends are sponsoring a Habitat home in his name. To make a contribution to the effort, please click here.

CEO Maureen Fife says of Frank, “We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and Frank certainly helped make Habitat what it is today.  He was well loved and respected, and will be missed.”

The Habitat community is welcome to join Frank’s family for a celebration of life at 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 20 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fircrest.