Mike Lewis, '48
Reporter, Editor, Publisher
Mike Lewis had been a reporter, an editor, a publisher, a public relations specialist, a talk show host, a hotel manager and a comedian by the time he died Jan. 18 of lymphoma, at 75. But in recent years Lewis, of Hauppauge, was best known for the good-humored gusto of the column he wrote, "Live," for several weekly newspapers.
The column, which ran in the Brookhaven, Ronkonkoma and Smithtown Reviews and the Medford News, included accounts of restaurant dinners and reminiscences on bygone days, as well as his "Witty of the Week" and "Mike's Musts" - a list of his suggestions for things to do on Long Island, such as helping out with the Long Island Ducks food drive or "a Bombay Martini (straight up) at Smithtown House." The column always ended the same way: "Until next week, try to enjoy life ... and LIVE!"
That's exactly what his father did, said Lewis' son Noah Levine. "He loved Long Island," he said. "I've got great memories of times we spent on the beach. He loved to swim. He was a simple man. He loved his dog ... He was very warm, very loving. And he was not shy with his affections." His father loved to fish for snapper in Stony Brook Harbor, loved seafood and pasta dishes, anything that used tomatoes and even exotic delicacies such as sweetbreads.
Born Irwin Levine, Lewis, who changed his name, grew up in Jamaica, Queens, and showed an interest in journalism from an early age, editing the school newspaper at Jamaica High School. He went on to receive a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Miami, his son said.
Lewis served two years in the Army, going overseas to Korea, where he did troop education and edited the newspaper for his Army group.
Soon after his return, Lewis moved to Commack, where he lived until 20 years ago when he moved to Hauppauge. Over the years, Lewis was editor and owner-publisher of a local newspaper chain, Levine said. He had a radio show, "Lunching with Lewis," and a local cable talk show, "The Mike Lewis Show." He started a public relations company and was the general manager of a hotel in Center Moriches. He was a founder and the first president of the Commack Jewish Center. And he was vice president of sales at the chain of newspapers that ran his column.
"Mike was really funny and fun to work with," said Chad Kushins, 21, a reporter at S.P. Publications. Of Lewis' column, Kushins said, "It perfectly matched his personality. In a very subtle way, he would put in a message about his own life or a social commentary, and fill it with humor. That was exactly what he was like in conversation."
Lewis' wife, Harlee Levine, said he was a "frustrated comedian" - his dreams of becoming a stand-up comic after college didn't pan out. "He could deliver a joke better than anybody I know," she said. "And with what dialects! It was perfect."
Although his father "knew everything about anything" and loved to share his knowledge, Noah Levine said, he often preferred to share a joke. As a child, Levine said, he remembers asking his father how the moon affects tides. "He told me, 'With a very long straw,'" Levine recalled with a laugh...
(Quoted from: "Mike Lewis, 75, Journalist and Cable Talk Show Host,"
By Indrani Sen.
Newsday. Long Island, N.Y.: Feb 9, 2005. pg. A.52)
