Colonel (Ret.) Albert ‘Albie’ Lee Lewis
March 31, 1951 – October 16, 2025
Colonel (Ret.) Albert “Albie” Lee Lewis passed peacefully at home on October 16, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family and held in the arms of the woman he loved.
Born at Fort Lewis, Washington, on March 31, 1951, to Maridean (Davis) and Victor Lee Lewis, Albie grew up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and attended the Scotland School for Veterans’ Children. After moving to Northfield, Vermont, he graduated from Northfield High School in 1969 and went on to earn a BS in Physical Education from Norwich University in 1973, commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon graduation.
After years of structure and discipline, Albie settled in Vermont’s Mad River Valley, where he found both freedom and lifelong friendships. He became an avid skier and beloved bartender at Gallagher’s in Waitsfield and founded Heritage Post & Beam, restoring historic structures into new homes and businesses.
A gifted athlete, Albie represented the United States in the Military Pentathlon through the Inter-allied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR), competing in several NATO countries and earning multiple medals. Inspired by this experience, he trained for the Modern Pentathlon and proudly competed in the 1980 Olympic Trials.
It was during this time he met the love of his life, Patti (Lindner). They married in 1981 and built their home in Berlin, Vermont, where they raised three daughters – Kristen, Brittany, and Kaitlin. Albie was a devoted husband and father who inspired his family to dream big, work hard, and find joy in the journey.
Albie continued his service in the Vermont Army National Guard, becoming the first chief instructor at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho and later serving as military liaison team chief to Macedonia. He retired from the military on September 11, 2001, concluding a distinguished career marked by leadership, mentorship, and integrity.
Following military service, Albie continued serving others as Vermont’s Director of Emergency Management and later with FEMA, where he became one of the nation’s few Type 1 federal coordinating officers. He led disaster recovery operations across the U.S. until retiring in 2020.
A dedicated community member, Albie volunteered for over 20 years with the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department and at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for families affected by childhood cancer. He will be remembered for his humor, generosity, and the way he made everyone feel like family.
Albie is survived by his wife of 44 years, Patti; daughters and son-in-laws Kristen and Zachary Dukette, Brittany and Benjamin Michaud, and Kaitlin and Thomas Burke; brother Frederick Kingsley; and niece Rebecca Trower. His mother, Maridean Lewis, and sister, Judith Trower, predeceased him.
A celebration of life with full military and fire department honors will be held Sunday, November 2, at 1 p.m. at White Memorial Chapel, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, with interment and reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta or Norwich University’s Golden Goal Club.
