Ernest "Chummy" Lewis, Jr.

Ernest L. “Chummy” Lewis, Jr. was born on the morning of December 15, 1951, at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL, to the proud parents of the late Alice Sykes Lewis and Ernest L. Lewis, Sr. He departed this life surrounded by loved ones in LaGrange, IL, on December 3, 2025.

Chummy was a lifelong member of Second Baptist Church in Maywood, IL, and a proud Maywoodian through and through, having lived in the village his entire life. He was a proud Washington Wildcat and Proviso East Pirate, and he never missed a chance to mention that he managed the 1969 Illinois Basketball State Championship team. He later attended Triton College with aspirations of becoming an auto mechanic.

Chummy had a deep love for cooking, working on cars, and drag racing, all passions he shared with one of his lifelong friends, Michael Sims, Sr. He often reminisced about the 1977 Vega they built together, affectionately named “Sims 3.” In his words, words he repeated often, it was the fastest car in Maywood. In his later years, he enjoyed attending car shows, visiting racetracks, and dreamed of traveling to see another lifelong friend, Peggy Dukes, in Jacksonville, FL, so he could visit yet another racetrack. Chummy retired as a laborer from Proviso East High School.

To his family, Chummy was lovingly known as the “Mayor of Maywood.” He was the keeper of the town’s history, if you needed to know anything about family, friends, neighborhood gatherings, or the latest community news, it all ran through him. He took great pride in keeping everyone connected. We will also miss his unforgettable nicknames, his sense of humor, and the way he could walk into any room and feel like he’d known everyone for years.

Chummy is preceded in death by his parents, Alice Sykes Lewis and Ernest Lewis, Sr., and his brothers Dana and DeOndra Lewis. He leaves to cherish his memory his daughter, Khadeejah “Muff” Omawali, and his son, Rahsaan (Courtney) Dunn; his grandchildren Cierra, Chikyra, Khadeem, Khaheem, Aidan, Addison, and Monroe; his brother, Frederic Lewis, Sr.; his aunt, Lynda (Eddie) Mayberry, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

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