New Britain herald., 1928-02-25
ROBERT H. LEWIS
 DIES OF PNEUMONIA
President of H,rlsy { Lub EIpires lt West Hartford Home

Robert H. Lewis, president of Harvey x Lewis, the largest optical and photographic supply firm in Connecticut. died yesterday after noon at his home, 97 Westerly lcr- race, West Hartford. after having been ill with pneumonia for the past week. He was 62 years of age.
 Born in Rockville, Mir. Lewis moved to Hartford when youth and entered the employ of w. s. Whittlescy < Co.,, an Asylum street clothing firm, and was later aSso- ciated with the Neeley Clothing Co. In 1890 he and Foster E. Harvey en- tered the optical business and es- tablished the firm which has now outgroWn all others in its line in this state. The first store was at 23 Asylum street in a building just torn down, but three years later they removed to S65 Main street where their business developed amazingly.
 After 32 years of association, MT. Harvey retired from the firm in 1922, taking over the stores in Springfield, New Haven and Bridgeport. MT. Lewis retained the Hartford estab- lishment and the one which had been opened in New Britain in 1920. He became president and treasurer, with his son, Richard R. Lewis, as secretary. Last year the firm was established in new quarters at Main and State streets. The New Britain branch is located at 79 West Main street.
 About ten years ago MT. Lewis became active in real estate devel- opments and, with Wilbur A. Will COX, he built up Cherry road and Westerly terrace in West Hartford. Here many model homes of colonial and English design were built, and outstanding among them all was that of MT. Lewis himself. With Edward NJ. Stone, Messrs Lewis and Wilcox erected the building at AL len and Trumbull streets which houses the City club and apartments of the Aetna Life Insurance Co. They also recently acquired land on Church street, Hartford.
 Mr. Lewis was married ill 1888 but his wife died in 1914. Three yoaw later he married Miss Lista Lincoln of Berlin. He and Mrs. Lewis have done much travelling abroad in the past decade. They went to Egypt and the Holy Land twice and last year motored through France and Italy, taking an airplane ride from Venice to Vienna.
 Mir. Lewis was a member Of seV- eral Masonic lodges and was a Shriner. He was also member or the Connecticut society. of Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth branch, Sons of the American Revolution, of the Hartford club, the Hartford Golf club, and the City club. He also served on the non commissioned staff of the Governors Foot Guard under Major Frank l.. Wilcox.
 On February 16, the day after he had attended a party at the home of Mir. and Mrs, Harry A. Allen of Cherry road, MT. Lewis was stricken. For several days his condition was not considered serious, hut bronchial set in and complications developed.
 MT, Lewis is survived by his wife; three sons, Richard E. Lewis, who was associated with him in the op- tical business, Robert F. Lewis. con neoted with the New York broker age firm of Dillon. Read x Co.,, and Dr. David H. Lewis of Detroit, Mich; several grandchildren; his stepmoth- CT, Mrs. Melissa Lincoln of Hartford: three sisters, Mrs. Asher Bailey of Hartford, Mrs. Edward H. Butler of East Hartford, and Mrs. Richard of Nashville, Tenn; and Mrs. Clarence Hills of Hartford. On son. Richard, mar ried Miss Dorothy White of this city.
 Funeral services will be held at 2:3O o'clock Monday afternoon at his late residence in West Hartford. lnterment will be made in Cedar Hill cemetery.