[SFDXA] Phil Lewis N2MUN SK -Obituary

[Bill]

Phillip R. Lewis, N2MUN, the founder of Ham Radio University, passed 
away on March 5, 2020, after a long bout with cancer. He was 72. Phil 
was active right up until the end, participating in a meeting of his 
amateur radio club, the Order of Boiled Owls of New York, at their March 
monthly meeting only 3 days before his death.

Lewis was born in Brooklyn in 1947 and grew up in Inwood in the Five 
Towns region of Nassau County, Long Island, New York. He graduated from 
RCA Institutes, America’s oldest radio school, and worked in the 
aerospace industry for Hazeltine and later BAE Systems on Long Island. 
He retired after 43 years. Lewis was a manager and problem solver. He 
was very good with people, had a positive outlook on life and would 
always find “a way” to get things done!

Lewis obtained his Amateur Radio license in 1991 and upgraded to Amateur 
Extra Class. He joined the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club and was on 
its board of directors, was an active volunteer examiner and an 
instructor for their license class exam courses. He was active on their 
Field Day committee and a participant in special event stations at Fire 
Island Lighthouse. He was GSBARC president from 2000 to 2002.

In 1999, Lewis had the idea of creating a day of education for amateur 
radio. With a small, dedicated group of Long Island hams, the notion of 
Ham Radio University (HRU) was formed. Phil Lewis was its first 
committee chairman, a distinction he held from 2000 to 2003. The first 
annual event was held in January 2000 at Babylon Town Hall Annex in 
North Babylon. HRU has since grown and expanded and is now being held at 
its fourth different location, LIU/Post in Brookville. HRU 2020 marked 
the 21st annual running. N2MUN gave two forums again this year and has 
been on the HRU committee since its inception.

On January 18, 2000, Lewis was featured in the Long Island newspaper 
Newsday in an article entitled, “Hamming it up on the air”. For his work 
on behalf of Amateur Radio, Lewis was named the American Radio Relay 
League (ARRL) Hudson Division Amateur of the Year for the Year 2000. He 
was also a long-time ARRL Hudson Division Assistant Director and the 
ARRL New York City / Long Island Section Affiliated Club Coordinator.

Lewis kept himself busy in his retirement, building radio kits with his 
son, Steven, and active daily on ham radio. He had a weekly on-air 
schedule with his cousin Marty in Virginia who was also a ham. Lewis was 
an active DX’er and Contester. He was a member of the Order of Boiled of 
New York and the Yankee Clipper Contest Club.

Besides contesting and DX’ing, Phil also enjoyed a “ragchew” on the air, 
easily conversing with people from all walks of life. Phil was an avid 
pet lover and his cats Lucky and Buddy graced his QSL cards and social 
media profile photos. He referred to them as his “non-paying family 
members”.

Lewis is survived by his son, Steven, cousins Carol Goodman, from 
Manhattan, NY, and Marty from Maryland, and his many ham radio friends. 
He was predeceased by his wife Iris who died in 2011 and his brother Robert.

Services are Sunday, March 8, at 11:15 am at “Old” Montefiore Cemetery, 
121-83 Springfield Boulevard, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413.

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73, George N2GA

*George Tranos*
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