SCOTIA — James Scott Lewis — an outdoorsman who served in both Gulf Wars and who became a compassionate medical provider — died on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at Albany Medical Center Hospital surrounded by his loving family, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was 51.

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Karin Ebsworth Demis and the late Charles Lewis, Jr., a captain in the United States Army. He graduated from Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School in the Class of 1985, graduated from Hudson Valley Community College in 1999, and earned his physician’s assistant degree at Touro College.

“Scott was a dedicated medical provider, demonstrating compassion, kindness, and a passion for educating others,” his family wrote in a tribute.

He completed his career as a major in the New York Army National Guard, most recently serving at Fort Hamilton, New York, as part of the 24th Civil Support Team. He previously served with the Medical Command at the Watervliet Arsenal.

His military career began in 1987, in the United States Marine Corps as a helicopter crew chief, followed by a career in the United States Army, undergoing combat aviation training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He served in both Gulf Wars and served during rescue operations at the World Trade Center.

Mr. Lewis was an avid outdoor enthusiast, spending much time in the Adirondacks, hiking, camping with friends, snowshoeing, skate skiing, and canoeing.  He traveled the world extensively, enjoyed skydiving, scuba diving, and held a private pilot’s license. “His passions included BigFoot, fish oil and his gyrocopter,” his family wrote.

Mr. Lewis was a member the Albany Greene County 4-H, raising livestock and exhibiting at the Altamont Fair as a child. He was extremely athletic from an early age, with his early sports career including judo and wrestling, later serving as wrestling team co-captain in his high school senior year. He was also a member of the Adirondack Three Style Wrestling Association. He continued his wrestling career as a member of the USMC Wrestling team at Quantico.

His family concluded, “He took great pride in his lifelong physical fitness.”

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James Scott Lewis is survived by his mother, Karin Ebsworth Demis; and by his loving siblings, John DeMis and his wife Bernadette, Barbara Lewis and Greg Austin, Robert Demis and his wife, Kristen, Geoffrey Demis and Christina Lowes, Kevin Demis and his wife, Dawn,  Beth Nalbone and her husband, James, Nancy DeMis and Bruce Turetsky, Cindy Lewis and Joe Proll, William DeMis and his wife, Mary, and Amy DeMis.

He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, Shauna Baron, Stephanie Siciliano and her husband, Thomas, Chelsea and Brigham Carman, Morgan and Isabella Demis, Emily, Maggie, James and Lucas Nalbone, and Daniel and Emma Turetsky. He is survived, too, by several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family who will deeply miss him.

His funeral was held on Tuesday, July 24, at Meyers Funeral Home, followed by interment with full military honors in Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, New York.

Mourners may leave messages online at www.TownleyWheelerFH.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Adirondack Council, www.adirondackcouncil.org; Mid-Atlantic Air Museum P-61 Black Widow Restoration Fund, 11 Museum Drive, Reading, PA 19605, www. maam.org; or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Research Support, www.giving.mskcc.org.