WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A prominent figure of the Warner Robins youth sports scene has died.
Mayor Randy Toms says Claude Lewis died on Sunday morning at 93-years-old.
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame called Lewis "a fixture on the youth sports scene in the Warner Robins area since the 1940’s."
Lewis is also known as being the father of "tee ball" in the International City. He is credited as an inventor of the sport after he organized a tee ball league in the 1950s.
In an article celebrating Lewis' 90th birthday, the Telegraph called him "Mr. Baseball" because of his dedication to coaching and playing the sport over the years.
According to the state sports hall of fame, Lewis spent over 50 years giving back to the community.
He ran the Warner Robins Recreation Department and received a lifetime achievement award from the Georgia Parks & Recreation Association and the recreation department facility named in his honor.
Toms says Lewis was the director of the recreation department when he was growing up and he remembers Lewis as bring strict and caring.
“He could put you in your place, but you knew it was because he cared about you,” Toms said.
Toms says he spent many hours in conversation with Lewis, who was always ready to share the wisdom he had about life.
"Men and women make mistakes in their life and come through the courts," Lewis said in a 2016 interview with 13WMAZ. "I liked seeing how the courts try to help them."
Lewis was director of the Warner Robins Recreation Department for almost 30 years before he retired.
Visitation will take place on May 18 from noon to 2 p.m. and a funeral will immediately follow.
Both the visitation and the funeral will be at the Southeastern Little League Stadium. Interment will be at Parkway Memorial Gardens.
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