Lewis Clare Stephens

Lewis Clare “Pop” Stephens was born February 19, 1933 in Glendale, CA to Basil and Clare Fern Stephens. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Betty Ann, children Chris Stephens (wife Rachel) and Kathy (husband Bill Porter) and 3 stepchildren, Howard Hoglen, Dennis Hoglen and Laura Sue Swisher.

He was a Korean War Veteran, serving as an Army mechanic in the Motor Pool, and later stationed at Fort Ord. He then worked as a jet mechanic at McDonald-Douglas after the war.

Lew and his first wife, Barbara, were very young when they married. They moved to Redding in the late 1950s. In his younger days, Lew enjoyed boating and water-skiing on Shasta Lake, motorbiking, hunting and camping. Lew and his brother-in-law, Larry ‘Shorty’ Freier, ran the Outboard Shop on Twin View. They raced outboard motorboats on the Sacramento River. At one race, Lew flipped his boat at high speed but survived by popping up in the air pocket under the boat. A very scary few minutes for friends and family looking on!

Lew then worked at Greyhound in Redding for 28 years (1960-1988) until his retirement. He continued to stay in touch with coworkers after retiring, and attended Greyhound events right up to just a few months before his passing. His favorite story was how, one night, someone broke in and actually stole a bus. The police took Lew with them on the chase, so he could tell them where to shoot the bus to disable it – What an exciting night for Pop!

Lew and his second wife, Betty, were inseparable, doing just about everything together throughout their marriage of 48 years. They even disco-danced when they first got together! They made their own whisky and (not always successfully) homemade wine. They traveled to Crescent City every year for 30 years, spending the summer fishing, going to garage sales and spending time at the beach with friends and family. They belonged to the Redding Moose Hall for many, many years and enjoyed having dinner there and participating in their events often, meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

Over the years, Lew converted 2 Greyhound buses into fully functioning and very comfortable motorhomes in which he and Betty traveled many of miles, going to the coast, to Yuma, and having great times at rallies with their “Bus Nuts” group. LOTS of wonderful memories shared.

Lew was an avid fisherman, mechanic, a great tinkerer and master ‘horse trader’. He was always looking for a deal and an opportunity to barter. And Lew/Pop loved nothing better than to have a good CHAT, to share news of the day, his mechanical knowledge and stories of his past with others. His charm and good nature will be missed.