William F. Lewis ’71

The Class of  ’ 71 lost a true Tiger with the passing of Bill Oct. 24, 2021, after a long struggle with cancer.

Bill came to Princeton from Brooklyn Technical High School and majored in physics. He attended classes at the Princeton Theological Seminary, was active in Army ROTC and the Evangelical Fellowship, and wrote for the Princeton Engineer. He belonged to Cloister Inn.

After graduation, Bill earned a Ph.D. in mathematical physics at Columbia. He then joined the faculty at the University of London, where he taught and did research in solid-state physics.

A businessman at heart, he then worked for Conrail as manager of strategic planning and at McGraw-Hill Systems and Digital Equipment Corp., managing federal government projects. As an entrepreneur, Bill started Prospect Technologies, a high-tech/internet firm and later a financial-services firm in Washington, D.C. Marriages to Diane and Lynne ended in divorce.

Bill served 1971 as president, treasurer, webmaster, and annual giving and special gifts solicitor and was active on the Alumni Council’s Technology Advisory Committee. Locally, he served on the boards and schools committees of Princeton Clubs of New York City, Washington, D.C., and the UK. Classmates remember his leadership, exuberance, and love of all things Princeton. 

In later years, Bill belonged to the First Baptist Church of Alexandria, whose members provided emotional and physical support during his last years of declining health. 

The class extends its condolences to his family and friends.