David Lewis

Lewis, David A.

Madison - David A. Lewis, age 70, passed away on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI, in the loving arms of his wife Jeanine. He was a strong, kind, gentle, brilliant, quiet man and he will be greatly missed.

David was born on March 7th, 1946, to William and Katherine (Simonds) Lewis, in Fort Worth, TX. He grew up in Madison on Lake Mendota Drive, surrounded by brothers and throngs of neighborhood kids. A lot of his free time was spent swimming, water skiing and ice skating. David was an excellent swimmer and the only one in his family to swim from Spring Harbor to Governor's Island and back all in one day. He won many medals in the 1960's swimming for Madison West High School and the Madison YMCA. David also enjoyed spending summer vacations at the family cottages on Lake Nancy in Minong, WI, and at Lakeside on Lake Michigan.

David and Eric Soumi built a friendship that lasted over 45 years. They shared a common interest in audio and stereo gear since the early 1970's. When David started his first Pro Audio company, Spectrum Audio, in the back room of Specialized Sound, as a Pro Audio division, and renting equipment for bands, Eric helped handle the more challenging and difficult repairs that were too time consuming for David. They continued to meet for Saturday lunch ever since that time.

David was an audio savant/guru; a great innovator of sound in the Midwest and he eventually formed his own Pro Audio business, Lewis Audio. David designed his own cabinets and sound systems and he, with the help of his friends Bill Volkmann and Steve Summers built much of his huge PA equipment. "It's not loud if it's clean" was his philosophy.

Many musicians, famous and not so famous, were fond of calling him "Uncle Dave". David provided sound for hundreds of acts, of a wide variety of music, both internationally and locally. He traveled internationally with Cheap Trick as Front of House Mixer and was credited for his work on Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan" album recorded in Japan in 1978.

He provided sound systems for the Wisconsin Union Theatre, UW Terrace, Rathskeller, Mifflin Street Block Party, Jazz at Five, The Barrymore Theater, Willy Street Fair, multiple stages at The Taste of Madison, and many venues in Oshkosh, LaCrosse and Wausau. Musicians, bands and other groups he worked with included Wynton Marsalis, Robert Cray, Leo Kottke, Vince Gill, Marvin Hamlisch, Roscoe Mitchell, Jerry Jeff Walker, Odetta and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Piper Road Spring Band, Ravi Shankar, Luther Allison, Los Lobos, Peter, Paul and Mary, Out of the West with Beverly Jean, Ziggy and the Zeu, Goldrush, Conway Twitty, Fog Hat (for their first USA appearance), Frank Sinatra (at Nixon's inauguration), various political candidates, charity events such as the Barneveld Tornado Relief, and so many more. He also installed permanent sound systems for businesses, including the Cardinal Bar.

Among his many interests David spoke French and loved to travel, especially to Paris. With his superb language skills he was instrumental in editing Jeanine's published writing. He also had a great appreciation for beautifully designed auto engines and airplanes. And much to his wife's delight he often created incredible gourmet meals.

David and Jeanine Hanson were married on August 13, 2014 in Los Angeles. David and Jeanine met through close friends, Steve Summers and Diane Dropsho, when Diane began treating David and his persistent migraine headaches with Advanced Energy Healing and Meditation with great success.

David is survived by his wife and six brothers, William (Kathy), Timothy (Zoraida), Jonathan (Sylvia), Stephen (Mary), Benjamin (Shanda), and Peter; 10 nieces and nephews, Matthew, Margaret, Tristin, Owen, Maxwell, Amanda, Adam, Jacob, Zachary, and Alex, and many cousins and great nieces and nephews. David enjoyed keeping in touch with his family and hearing how everyone was doing. He is also survived by special friends Eric Soumi, Steve Summers, Diane Dropsho, and his first wife Beverly Jean Lewis. David was preceded in death by his parents.

The family wishes to thank John Rice, M.D., Heidi Weiss, RN, Dean Millan RN, and John Breitbach, D.C. for their friendship and caring treatment of David.

A gathering of family and friends has been planned for Thursday, July 21, 2016 from 3:00 - 7:00pm with a time of sharing beginning at 4:30 PM, at the Cress Center, 6021 University Ave., Madison. All are welcome.

Cress Center
6021 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 238-8406