John William Lewis Jr., a musician who dedicated his professional life to aiding the disabled, died on Feb. 2 from complications of pneumonia. He was 93.
Lewis was only 6 days old when a faulty eye drop formula rendered him totally blind. Undaunted by his handicap, Lewis learned to tune and play the piano. He attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York, and graduated with a master’s degree in music education from Columbia University.
In the 1940s, he returned to Macon, Ga., and took a job with the Georgia Department of Education helping handicapped people find employment. He spent a decade working as a counselor for the disability unit of the Social Security Administration before retiring in 1973. He spent his final years teaching music appreciation to senior citizens at Life Enrichment Services of DeKalb County.