On Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the age of 81, Lewis Leih passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Idyllwild.

Lewis and his wife Marilyn, of 60 years, moved to Idyllwild in late 1963. He loved the people of Idyllwild and gave of his time and talents in so many ways. He touched the lives of countless students at both Idyllwild and Hamilton schools in his 36-year career as both a teacher and principal with the Hemet Unified School District.

He and his wife enjoyed hiking locally and in the Sierras, and helped to protect the mountains they loved by volunteering their time at the Tahquitz Peak Lookout tower well into their 70s.

He served on the Idyllwild Scholarship Committee, which provides financial assistance to high school seniors looking to attend college.

He enriched the lives of others through his gift of music and was the worship leader at the Idyllwild Community Presbyterian Church for nearly 40 years.

He adored his wife Marilyn and five children Bob, Teri, Mike, Wendy and Christy. The joy of his life was his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ whom he served faithfully.

Just before his passing, he shared with his family, “I never had a desire to write a book. I simply wanted to write a life so people could see Jesus work in every area of my life.”

He is survived by his wife, five children and their spouses, 15 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and his brother Jim.

We will celebrate his life at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at the Idyllwild Community Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to the Idyllwild Community Presbyterian Church.