Yale University

 

In Memoriam

Richard Smart Rewis 


Richard Rewis
1963 graduation

 

Richard Smart Rewis, 75 of Charleston, died on Sunday, January 25, 2015, at Roper Hospital.

Born Friday, December 15, 1939 in Norfolk, Virginia, he was the son of the late Millard Rewis and the late Helen Smart Rewis. He was the husband of Eulonda Brillon Rewis.

A beloved husband and father, Mr. Rewis was a caring and enthusiastic teacher and church musician who will be missed by all who knew him. He graduated from Yale University in 1963 and proudly served In the United States Marine Corps.

Surviving in addition to his devoted wife of 37 years are sons, Ben Rewis and wife Melanie of San Francisco, CA and Sam Merrill of Freeport, ME; step­sons, Ken Bailey of Mobile, AL and Jeff Bailey of Jacksonville, FL;  step-daughter; Carol Lazu and husband Peter of Charleston; sister, Carolyn Key and husband Jim of Norfolk, VA and his grandchildren and step­grandchildren.

 

from James K. Baird

Richard and I first met in 1958.  Richard's father was the associate pastor at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church in Roanoke, VA which I attended.

When the Rewis family moved to Roanoke in the fall of 1958, Richard was a Yale freshman, and I was a high school senior who was considering applying to Yale.  Over Christmas holidays of 1958, Richard kindly lent me his notebook for Chem. 12.  To my great surprise and huge relief, I found that I could read and understand most of it.  This gave me some confidence that I might survive as a chemistry major at Yale.