Reid Eugene Lewis

Reid Eugene Lewis passed away peacefully on April 17, 2024, in South Jordan, Utah.

He was born in Shelley, Idaho, on July 23, 1949, to Marcene and Reid Evans Lewis.  Raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Reid had two sisters, Karen VanValkenberg (Bill) of Seattle, Washington, and Barbara Gallacher (Ed) of Salt Lake City, and one brother, William Edward Lewis of Idaho Falls, Idaho.  

Reid graduated from Idaho Falls High School, spent one semester at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, and then attended the University of Utah.  A student in the Honors Program and a member of the University’s intercollegiate debate team, he graduated with honors with a BA degree in 1972 and was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies.  He graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 1975 from the S.J. Quinney College of Law. 

Reid was a law clerk for Judge Calvin Gould of the Second Judicial District Court between 1974 and 1975, and for Justice J. Allan Crockett of the Utah Supreme Court between 1975 and 1976.  He was a shareholder in the Salt Lake City law firm of Moyle & Draper for twenty years, after which he served as General Counsel for Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District from 1995 until 2022.  He practiced before Utah State courts, the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.  He was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.   

He was an adjunct faculty member for sixteen years in the David Eccles School of Business for both the Department of Management and the Graduate School of Business.  He was a member of the Utah State Bar Association, where he served as Chairman of the Screening Panel for the Ethics and Discipline Committee, and as a committee member of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Evidence, the Utah Bar Journal, the Annual Meeting Committee, the Mid-Year Meeting Committee, the Speakers Bureau, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section.  He was also a member of the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Salt Lake County Bar Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Utah Water Users Association.  He was a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and served as a Judge Pro Tempore of the Small Claims Court of the Third Judicial District Court.

Reid married Wendy Oliver Lewis on August 2, 1984, in Salt Lake City, after a whirlwind five-month courtship.  (He readily acknowledged that was the best decision he ever made.)  Together, they raised three beautiful children:  McCall Kristin Weibel (Matthew), Kelsey Alina Richards (Jackson), and Jordan Evan Lewis (Tara).  (Reid readily acknowledged that was the second best decision he and Wendy ever made.)  Reid and Wendy were the recipients of 6 beautiful grandchildren:  Lucy (9), Daisy (7), and Ellie (3) Weibel; Lily (6) and Maggie (4) Richards; and Violet Lewis (2).

As a boy, Reid was an active Boy Scout, and he enjoyed Little League baseball and skiing, especially in Sun Valley and Jackson, Wyoming.  Later, he developed a passion for basketball and devoted time most weeks to recreational play with co-workers and friends in ad hoc leagues (he never saw a shot he did not want to take).  He also developed construction skills that allowed him to tackle any home remodeling project. 

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  

His greatest passions, however, were his family and friends.  He was helpful with most people he met and offered to help whenever possible.  He was a supporter of education and contributed regularly to Brown University and to Columbia University.  Reid and Wendy traveled extensively throughout Europe and Africa.

Reid was preceded in death by his father, his mother, and his brother.

What though the radiance

which was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass,

of glory in the flower,

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind…

“Splendour in the Grass,” William Wordsworth

He will be laid to rest in a private family ceremony at Murray City Cemetery. 

We are thankful to family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for the love and support we have received.  In lieu of flowers, please share your generosity with any organization that touches your heart.