Lewis Baldwin, 72, of Humarock, MA, died on Tuesday, March 3 after a long illness. Lew was born on June 9, 1942 to Thomas H. Jr. and Martha S. Baldwin of Norwich, CT where he was raised. He graduated from the Norwich Free Academy in 1960 as a member of the Honor Society and was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. He completed parachute training with the U.S. Army Airborne at Fort Benning, GA. Graduating in 1964 as an Ensign, he chose U.S. Navy Flight Training in Pensacola, FL, to become a Naval Aviator, a dream he had since he was a young child. After receiving his Naval Aviator Wings in 1965 he flew two tours of duty in Vietnam. Operating from aircraft carriers, he flew 177 missions and received the National Defense Service Medal, Secretary of the Navy Unit Commendation, Vietnamese Service Medal Air Medal (8), Navy Unit Commendation; Letter of Commendation from TASK FORCE 77. He then served as a U.S. Navy Flight Instructor, squadron legal officer and a member of the Special Courts Martial at NAS Pensacola in Pensacola, FL. He resigned in 1969 and became a pilot with Eastern Airlines where he met his beloved wife Patricia, who was employed as a Senior Flight Attendant. When Eastern Airlines failed, he along with other Eastern employees, Started KIWI Airlines in Newark, NJ, a process that took almost a year before being certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. He became a check captain and instructor at KIWI and subsequently Vice President of Flight Operations at Discovery Airlines. He was an avid fisherman on both fresh and salt water and was catching lobsters commercially up until the time his condition worsened. He is survived by his wife Patricia of Humarock, MA, his daughter Rebecca of Oregon, his son Benjamin of Maine, his brother Thomas of Pembroke, MA and his nephews Christopher and Gregory of Raleigh-Durham, NC. The famous poem by John Gillespie MaGee, Jr., best typifies his life of love, family and country. "Oh, I have slipped the surly bounds of Earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds…and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of…Wheeled and soared and swung, high in the sunlit silence…." Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the MacDonald Funeral Home, 1755 Ocean St., Rte. 139 in Marshfield. Interment will be at 1:45 p.m. in the MA National Cemetery, Bourne, MA. Due to flower restrictions in the National Cemetery contributions in Lewis' memory may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, Inc., 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20850-5168 or the Wounded Warrior Project, National Processing Center, PO Box 75854, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8541.