Richard (Hawk) Wayne Lewton

Richard (Hawk) Wayne Lewton, age 63, died of a heart attack at his home in Gillette, WY on Tuesday Aug 15 2017. Richard Wayne Lewton was born on 9/30/1953 to John M & Dorothy Dippert Gano- Lewton at Hettinger, ND.

 

Richard Lewton was the youngest of 12 children. Richard was raised on a Ranch in a tar paper shack 27 miles South of Bison SD on Rabbit Creek. As a child Richard enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping & riding horses & with his 10 siblings he worked hard on the ranch with his parents who raised approx 20 acres of Produce which entailed hand planting, hoeing by hand, cultivation & harvest for all the vegetables they planted to sell to the public. It was very hard work! Richard with his siblings helped with haying, raising cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, milking many cows & 250 chickens to pluck! Richard attended Ada (a one room) School & attended Bison Elementary & Bison High School. As a teenager Richard worked for various ranchers in the area to earn money for school clothes. Richard sheared sheep with his best high school friend Bill Erickson and they both rode bulls in rodeo's together. Richard loved to rodeo & break horses even in the Gillette area. Richard Lewton married Gayann Hopkins (from Ekalaka MT) in Spearfish SD.

 

They lived briefly in Spearfish, SD & Bowman, ND & then they bought a home in Gillette, WY where they became parents to 2 beautiful daughters Dixie & Danielle Lewton. The marriage ended in a Divorce. In Gillette Richard (Hawk) Lewton was a Heavy Equipment Operator for various Const. Companies one being Osborne Construction which most of them sub-contracted work @ various Coal Mines in Gillette area and also moved dirt in the Oil Fields and etc.  Richard was a very very hard worker, he wasn't scared to work hard since he worked so hard on the Ranch where he was raised. Richard believed in helping others in need and helped many wherever he lived. As stated he was a giver, a very caring and a very kind person.

 

On May 7, 2016, Richard (Hawk) Lewton had a stroke & was flown Flight For Life to Salt Lake Hospital and his best friend Sister Caroline Lewton Rosander-Rumminger flew from Murrieta, CA to Salt Lake to be by his side to see over his care.  Richard had two major surgeries and was a month in the Trauma Unit in Salt Lake and then he was taken by Ground Medics back to Gillette and his Sister flew from Salt Lake to Gillette to oversee and make sure he got excellent Care at Pioneer Manor. He got excellent Therapy and Care while he was a resident there. When he got better he returned to his home in Gillette but after Richard's Stroke it took a toll on him because he could no longer work due to his disability of using a walker and having a crippled leg.  What really took the life out of Richard is when his Daughter Danielle Lewton Dunbar of Gillette suddenly passed away two months ago.  August 15, 2017, God chose to take Richard (Hawk) Lewton Home.  

 

As Richard’s dear sister stated, her dear baby brother and her best friend is no longer in pain physically or mentally that he is in a better place with the Lord!

 

Surviving is his daughter Dixie Lewton (Sheridan), his only Grand daughter Zevi Lewton, Gillette; his brothers David Gano, at the Ranch where Richard was raised; John Allen Lewton, Sturgis; Terry Lewton, CO; Cecil Lewton, Buffalo Gap; Dennis Lewton, Bison; Maurice Lewton, Santa Maria, CA; sister's Caroline Lewton Rosander-Rumminger, Murrieta, CA; and Cleo Gano Wilbur, Lemmon and nieces and nephews and many many cousins.

 

Preceding Richard Wayne Lewton in death on 6/19/2017 was his beautiful daughter, Danielle Lewton Dunbar, his dad, John M Lewton, in 1986 and mother, Dorothy Lewton, in 1994, his grandparents, John W. and Jennie Lewton, two brothers. Milton Lewton, Gillette, Wyo., and Monte Gano, Alpine, Calif., and sister, Marie Gano Frye, niece, Tanya Gano, and nephew, Jerry Lewton.  

 

Services are pending.