James Winston Lewis

James Winston Lewis, age 70, of Elgin, passed away on Monday morning, July 17, 2023. James (Jimmy), the third of six children, was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1953 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was baptized at Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale and confirmed at ST. John’s Evangelical Church in Stamford, Connecticut.

Throughout his childhood, Jimmy loved fishing, playing football, playing neighborhood games, helping to build snow forts in the winter, and eating ice cream. At the age of six, he moved with his three siblings and parents to Stamford, CT. Collecting baseball and football cards and sports memorabilia became a lifelong hobby. He remained an avid Minnesota Vikings and Twins fan.

After graduating high school, Jimmy moved to Georgetown, Colorado to be closer to his brother John. There he met Jill, his first wife, and began his family with two daughters, who eventually moved to Ohio and provided him with seven grandchildren and one great grandson. While living in Colorado, Jimmy climbed two fourteeners with John, Mount Yale and Longs Peak and learned to ski. He worked at several different restaurants as a chef, sold cookware, and did telemarketing. One of John’s friends said of Jimmy once, “Jimmy could be one of the top salesmen in the country. With his personality and persuasiveness, he could sell ice to the Eskimos!”

When his parents moved to Illinois, Jimmy moved there to be closer to his brother, Mark and began working as a chef again and selling Electrolux vacuums. They both met their second wives there and went on double dates often. Jim and Suzie eventually settled in Elgin. They had one daughter and began attending First Congregational Church. Jimmy sang in the church choir and began volunteering with the community food pantry. He worked as an assistant and greeter for Symonds-Madison Funeral Home and as caregiver for several handicapped gentlemen in the Elgin area.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Suzie, and his sister, Anne Martin. He is survived by his first wife, Jill; his sister, Patricia (Jim) McClean; brothers, John (Kathy) Lewis, Paul (Tori) Lewis, and Mark (Karin) Lewis; brother-in-law, Jim Martin; his three daughters; seven grandchildren; one great grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 5:00pm until funeral service at 7:00pm, Friday, July 28, 2023 at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park Street, Elgin, IL 60120. Michael Murschel will be officiating.

To access the funeral service remotely, loved ones are encouraged to log on from home via Zoom (Meeting ID: 869 1128 1987, Password: 150878).

Final arrangements entrusted to Symonds-Madison Funeral Home. For more information, call 847-741-1128.

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