Lewis Klahr

Lewis Shurtleff Klahr, 90, of Erie, passed away on July 10, 2019, at Forestview Health Care Center. He was born March 13, 1929 in St. Petersburg, FL to the late Charles Dean and Helen Shurtleff Klahr.
Lew graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 1947 and earned a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951. He was a member of the swim team both in high school and college and a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at Penn. Lew married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, three days after graduating from college. They moved to New London, CT where he attended Officer Training School at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. After training, he and Nancy relocated to Washington, DC where he completed his service. Upon returning to Erie, Lew was employed by Hays Manufacturing Company, Tanner Manufacturing, and Erie Malleable Iron Works. He was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, the Erie Yacht Club, and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and the U.S. Blind Golf Association.
Lew enjoyed gardening, crossword and Sudoku puzzles, feeding the backyard birds, and his cats throughout the years. Lew was an avid sailor throughout his life and won many races and regattas on his Star boat, Windrush II, #1900. Family was very special to Lew and he loved hearing stories about his grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
In addition to his parents, Lew was preceded in death by his wife Nancy of 67 years who passed away in January 2019.
Survivors include his son Jeffrey of Erie, his daughter Elizabeth Eldakar (Adel) of Oxnard, CA, and his daughter Beverly Wells (Mark) of Fairview, PA; grandchildren Kent Furst (Paula) of Cleveland, OH, Casey Klahr of Erie, Eleanor Wells of New York, NY, Geoffrey Wells of Pittsburgh PA, Bassam Eldakar of Binghamton, NY, Omar Eldakar of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Shaden Hein (Nick) of Niskayuna, NY. He also leaves behind his brothers C. Dean Klahr Jr. (Carroll) and Paul Klahr; and sister Kittie Sisson. Lew is also survived by many nieces and nephews and two great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank the staff of Forestview and Heartland Hospice for their wonderful care and support.
Friends may call at Burton Westlake Funeral Home, 3801 West 26th Street (at Powell Avenue) on Sunday July 14, 2019 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm and may attend a funeral service there on Monday July 15, 2019 at 11:00 am. Interment will be in the Klahr Family plot at the Clarion Cemetery, Clarion, PA following the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 250 W. 7th St, Erie, PA 16501, the Erie Yacht Club Foundation - Reyburn Sailing School Fund, P.O. Box 648, Erie, PA 16512 or the charity of one’s choice.