NOTICE OF PASSING - Lieutenant Colonel Robert M. Lewis (Mike), U.S. Army, Retired

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Robert (Mike) Lewis, U.S. Army, Retired.  Lieutenant Colonel Lewis died on August 14, 2019 after a battle with cancer.  He was 67 years old.

Lieutenant Colonel Lewis was born on March 23, 1952 in Auburn, New York.  After graduating from the University of Delaware, he joined the Army in 1973, and attended Ranger School, the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course, and the Electronic Warfare/Crypto Course.  He served as an Electronic Warfare Officer at Fort Ord and in the G-3 section at the 1209th USAG (USAR), in Mattydale, NY.  After obtaining his juris doctor from Syracuse University School of Law, he entered the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1981.  Lieutenant Colonel Lewis served in multiple assignments, including as an Assistant Judge Advocate at Fort Eustis and Fort Stewart and as a Trial Defense Counsel in Korea.  In 1989, LTC Lewis was assigned to the OTJAG Administrative Law Division, and in 1991, he served as the OTJAG Assistant Executive Officer. In 1992, he was selected to attend George Washington University, where he received an LLM in Environmental Law.  Lieutenant Colonel Lewis later served as the Environmental Law Specialist at FORSCOM, followed by an assignment as the Chief of Litigation Branch, Environmental Law Division (ELD), United States Army Legal Services Agency from which he retired from active duty in 1998.

In 1998, LTC Lewis embarked on a second career as a civilian attorney for ELD’s Litigation Branch, serving from 1998 to 2014 as a trial attorney and a senior trial attorney.  His superb and nuanced representation prompted the Department of Justice to frequently appoint him as lead counsel in a number of high profile cases, including litigation in Hawaii regarding the stationing of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield Barracks.

Lieutenant Colonel Lewis was a skilled and tenacious litigator, who ensured the Army’s interests were protected.  A mentor and friend, LTC Lewis also trained a generation of attorneys on the intricacies of environmental litigation, leaving a rich legacy for the future.  He was an avid outdoorsman, and he often competed in triathlons and in team endurance races with friends from ELD.

LTC Lewis is survived by his wife Rosemary.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 12807 Valleywood Dr., Lake Ridge, Virginia, followed by a reception in the Church’s social hall. He will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. Mountcastle-Turch Funeral Home in Woodbridge, Virginia is overseeing funeral arrangements. Memorial donations can be made to ACTS (Action in Community Through Service) P.O. Box 74, Dumfries, VA 22026.


CHARLES N. PEDE
Lieutenant General, USA
The Judge Advocate General