Daryle Lewis

February 16, 2025

 Daryle Wayne Lewis was born on January 5, 1945, in Hutchinson, Kansas, to George Woodrow Lewis and Juanita (Evins) Lewis.

He was raised on the family farm northwest of Syracuse that was homesteaded by his Grandfather. He lived in a sod house until the age of ten, with his parents, sister, and uncle. They did not have running water, electricity, or an indoor bathroom for several of those years. In 2020, the family farm was awarded the prestigious Kansas Farm Bureau Century Farm Award.

Daryle spent his elementary school years at the C-4 school and was a member of the C-4 4-H club. He later attended Syracuse High School and graduated in 1963. Afterward, he graduated from Goodland Vo-Tech, now Northwest Kansas TechnicalCollege, in Automotive Mechanics.

Daryle joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1967 where he served as a 5th Class Medic in Lamar, Colorado. He was honorably discharged in 1973. He married Dalene Fecht on July 21, 1973, in Syracuse, Kansas. They started their life together honeymooning by driving to Alaska in his 1956 Ford purchased from Ron Davis at Davis Motors in Syracuse. They went on to have five daughters. Through the years they visited all the lower 48 states in the same 1956 Ford. Daryle and Dalene loved to travel. They visited Cuba, Israel, Sweden, and India. 

Daryle actively gave back to the community. He helped build houses in Juarez, Mexico, with the First Christian Church mission group. Daryle was an active member of the Syracuse Masonic Lodge #309, a member of the American Legion Post 27, as a Promise Keeper. He served on the Hamilton County Museum Board for many years. He was very knowledgeable about antique cars and was involved in the annual “Cruisin’ IntoSummer” Car Show. One would find him proudly driving one of his several antique cars at local parades. He made it a point to attend as many funerals as he could, believing that “nobody should be buried alone”.

In 2022, his dedicated wife of 48 years passed away, after which Daryle leaned more heavily on his friends and family during this time. He recently celebrated his 80th birthday surrounded by his friends and family. He was truly appreciative of the opportunity to share his milestone with his loved ones.

Daryle passed away peacefully in his home on February 13, 2025. Daryle was preceded in death by his parents George Woodrow Lewis and Juanita (Evins) Lewis, and his wife Dalene (Fecht) Lewis. He is survived by his five daughters: Annette (Goutham) Vemuri, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Babette (Rick) Dixon, Topeka, Kansas, Patti (Scott) Selikoff, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Cozette Lewis , Garden City, Kansas, and Katie (John) Dunn, Brooklyn, New York, seven grandchildren: Anna Vemuri, Meghan Vemuri, Olivia Selikoff, Sophia Selikoff, Elysia Selikoff, Mary Grace Dunn and John Andrew Dunn, his sister, Linda Kay (Stan) Englert of Syracuse, Kansas and his mother-in-law Pauline Fecht.

Funeral services will be at the Syracuse United Methodist Church on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM MST. Burial will follow at the Syracuse Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the Hamilton County Museum, PO Box 923,Syracuse, Kansas. Please mention Daryle Lewis Memorial in the memo line.