Aug. 2, 1938 – July 25, 2026
Commander Lewis Hamilton Harding, Sr., age 87, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in his beloved hometown of Cherokee, N.C. An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), a highly decorated naval aviator, and a steadfast community leader, Lewis lived a life defined by the highest ideals of service, leadership, and “service above self.”
Early Life and Education
Born in Cherokee on Aug. 2, 1938, Lewis was raised across the Southern United States, living in Virginia, near the Norfolk Naval Air Station, and in several locations in Florida. He went on to graduate from the University of Florida, then entered the United States Navy and completed the Navy JAG program, the United States Naval Justice School, and eventually the Naval Warfare Nuclear Weapons Program.
A Distinguished Military Career
Lewis was commissioned as a Naval Officer in September 1960, initially serving as a Legal Officer aboard the USS ShangriLa. However, his true calling lay in the skies. He applied for and eventually completed the Navy Flight Training Program in August 1963 and assigned to Attack Squadron 176 (VA176) flying the Douglas A¬1 Skyraider at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, eventually deploying to the Vietnam War aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.
As a carrier-based attack pilot flying the Douglas A1 Skyraider, Lewis flew 80 grueling combat missions. During an intensive eight month tour in the South China Sea, his ship’s deployment on Yankee Station was critically extended after its sister carrier, the USS Oriskany, suffered a tragic shipboard fire. His squadron’s precision and bravery earned them the Fleet “E” for Excellence, and Lewis himself was honored with the Carrier AirWing 10 “Top Gun” award for air-to-ground weapons delivery.
For his extraordinary heroism and achievement in aerial flight, Lewis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, 10 Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, the Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Naval Reserve Medal, and both the Republic of Vietnam Service and Campaign Medals. Upon returning to the United States, he shared his elite expertise as a flight instructor with Training Squadron Four (VT4) at NAS Pensacola until his release from active duty in late 1968.
A Career in the Skies and Devotion to Cherokee
Leaving the Navy to fly commercially in 1969, Lewis embarked on a distinguished 21-year career as an airline pilot for Eastern Airlines, accumulating over 15,000 hours of flight time. In the winter of 1978, feeling the need to secure a post-aviation career and with a desire to return to his hometown of Cherokee, Lewis purchased the Homestead Motel in Wolftown, where he spent 48 years deeply immersed in the tourism, hospitality, and civic landscape. He poured his leadership into preserving and advancing his community, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Cherokee Historical Association, and on the boards of the Tribal Gaming Enterprise and the Cherokee Indian Museum Board. Driven by a lifelong passion to honor fellow indigenous service members, he successfully led efforts, with generous Tribal funding, to build the Veterans Memorial Park in Cherokee, which is visible in front of the Tribal council house. He was also able to dedicate a Veterans Memorial Museum in the American Legion post building in Cherokee. In June of 2022, he was celebrated for his 25 years of dedicated service to the Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143, where he had proudly served as its Commander.
Family and Legacy
Lewis was a man of profound depth, quiet strength, and fierce devotion to his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, the former Helen Lambert Brown of Cherokee; his children, Lewis Hamilton Harding II, Kristin Danielle Harding, and Joseph Stanley Brown; his seven cherished grandchildren; and his six adored great-grandchildren.
Lewis’s life was a testament to the triumph of the human spirit and an unyielding commitment to community preservation. He has written an indelible chapter in the history of his nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He will be missed beyond measure, but his legacy will stand as a guidepost for generations to come.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 at the Chapel of Long House Funeral Home. The Family will receive friends from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. Interment will follow at the Burgess – Oocumma Veterans Cemetery in Cherokee, N.C. with military honors provided by the US Navy and the Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143.
Long House Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.