Obituary of Rear W. Lewis Glenn

Rear Admiral W. Lewis Glenn, Jr., Ret. RADM W. Lewis Glenn, Jr., a highly decorated career Naval Surface Warfare Officer who served as the youngest Commanding Officer of the Battleship New Jersey (BB-62), was surrounded by his family when he died on May 15, 2012, at the Carriage Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was 71 and had bravely fought a long battle with a debilitating cognitive condition. Lew Glenn was born on September 7, 1940, the younger of the two sons of W. Lewis Glenn, Sr. and Evelyn Lide Glenn, of Anderson, South Carolina. He graduated from Boys High in Anderson in 1958, and went on to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1962. Lew and his wife of 48 years, Julia Meeks Glenn, were childhood sweethearts and married on April 4, 1964. In addition to his beloved wife, he leaves three children: W. Lewis Glenn III, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Margaret Glenn Chapman, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Russell Warren Glenn, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan; son-in-law Tobin Chapman; daughters-in-law Krista Newkirk and Jacqueline Glenn; and seven grandchildren: Tinsley, Conrad, Will, Eliana, Russell, Holden and Adeline. Also surviving are his brother, R. Lide Glenn; sister-in-law, Ada Moorhead; and brother-in-law, Richard Meeks and wife, Adya Meeks; six nieces, four nephews, and many great-nieces and nephews. Lew?s naval service included a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1969 as Flag Lieutenant to Admiral E. R. Zumwalt while he was Commander Naval Forces Vietnam, and Command of the USS Mahan DDG-42 from 1978 to 1980 while it was the evaluation and testing platform for the SM-2 surface-to-air missile system. His shipboard service culminated in Command of the USS New Jersey, from 1986 to 1988, including a Western Pacific deployment. RADM Glenn led a full Battleship Battle Group deep into the Sea of Okhotsk, at the heart of the Soviet Pacific Fleet?s sphere of influence, on a freedom of navigation demonstration, leaving behind a plank of the warship?s teak decking as a symbol of the freedom of the seas. His other shipboard tours included USS Vesole (DDR-878), USS Richard E Byrd (DDG-23), USS Tattnall (DDG-19), and Executive Office of the USS Vreeland (DE-1068). His staff service included a tour as Commander of Training for the Pacific Fleet, and several at the Pentagon including both aide to Chief of Naval Operations and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief Naval Operations Surface Warfare. His last duty station was Commander Combat Logistics Group 2 in Norfolk, Virginia. Lew received his Master?s Degree in Oceanography from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1968, graduated from the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in 1982, and from the National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1983. His military decorations included five awards of the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star with Combat ?V?. Lew was a man of strong belief, and his unshakeable faith in God fortified him throughout his life. He served as a Deacon, Elder and youth advisor for Vienna Presbyterian Church (VPC) and as Co-Chair of its Capital Fund Drive, resulting in a new sanctuary. He participated in numerous mission projects, including Habitat for Humanity missions throughout the United States and Mexico. We know that his advice to all of us would be his oft-repeated farewell to ?Go with God?, and we rejoice in the knowledge that he has done so. Lew Glenn?s quiet strength, abiding love and support for his family and deep commitment to God, country, and the sailors with whom he served, will be remembered by all those whose lives he touched. He was equally at home on the bridge wing of a warship and reading to his grandchildren. He led a life marked by service, selflessness and honesty, and we are all better people for having known him. A service to celebrate the life of Lew Glenn will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May, 18, 2012, at Myers Parks Presbyterian Church. Following the service, the family will receive friends in Providence Hall. He will be interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. The family will be forever grateful for the competent and loving care provided by the excellent staff at Clare Bridge of Carriage Club and Hospice Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Donations in memory of Lew Glenn may be made to: Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, 875 N. Randolph Street, Suite 225, Arlington, Virginia 22203 http://www.nmcrs.org/donation2.html or Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region, 1420 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28204 http://hpccr.org/donate-memorial-giving-program.cfm or Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124 Park Street, Vienna, Virginia 22180 http://www.viennapres.org/ministries/giving_at_vpc/waystogive/