James T. Lewis, 59, of Ocean Grove, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2021 after a determined, stoic and courageous three-year battle with cancer. Jim is predeceased by his parents, Ted and Jean Lewis, both sets of grandparents, and his uncle, Gary Lewis, among other family members, as well as his father-in-law, Charles Pfau. He is survived by his wife of almost 31 years, Debbie Pfau Lewis; his brothers, Steve and Mike, his twin sister Susan; nephews, James, Dan, Randy, Rusty, and Nathan; a niece, Kate; cousins, Allyson and Tim, in addition to many other relatives; his mother-in-law, Loretta, and two brothers-in-law, Chuck and Pete. Also grieving Jim's loss are his great, close friends, James, Larry, Tom, his work friends/family and friends he's made through his employment over the years. He also leaves behind his and Deb's two cats, but most of all, he leaves behind their current, loyal, and much loved dog, Arnold, a big mush of a boy who was able to see Jim one last time alongside Jim's hospital bed shortly before his passing. He loved that dog so much, as did he love all of their canines who came before Arnold. He did have a soft spot for animals in general, domestic and wild, but he was a dog person. He will be forever missed. Quite an intelligent man, Jim was a graduate of Rutgers with a BS in Engineering. However, he dedicated his working life to the well drilling field, mainly, environmental, and many years ago, became a licensed, journeyman well driller; he was a member of IUOE Local 825. Jim was hard-working, serious about his work and the safety protocols that came with it, completely honest, and full of integrity. Many years ago, he took a year's break from well drilling and signed on as a merchant mariner, sailing around and seeing the world. But well drilling was his thing, and he resumed his position with his employer. He was tall, handsome, had a nice smile, a sense of humor, valued his friendships, and was very loyal, across the board, in life, friendships and work ethic. He would not go out of his way to be gregarious and was a homebody after his long days of work were done, but once he got to know someone, he would offer to help out a friend or neighbor in some way, if needed. He would be one of the first to be outside shoveling snow or clearing sidewalks and driveways with the snow blower. Jim had a deep admiration for 60's muscle cars with their big engines and loud exhausts. He was a proud owner of a couple of cars and could spend hours troubleshooting one thing or another, sometimes, out of necessity. In his younger days, he played baseball, stickball, softball, and he enjoyed memorable hikes with his father and siblings. He and his wife got to experience a trip to Scotland, and during a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, took advantage of the views from multiple trips up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. He also enjoyed Eastwood Westerns, listening to music, playing computer games, and relaxing with his beer and cigs on the porch with his friends or in his solitude contemplating the week's work that he just finished or what was waiting for him come Monday.Jim was not ready to leave any of us behind. He fought and rallied against this merciless illness to the very end; he reported to work up until the early part of the previous month, and even when he realized that he would have to stop work, he expected it to be temporary.Jim did not want a service. But he will be honored and memorialized among his closest, as his was a life worth remembering. If anyone is interested, a donation to the SPCA in Eatontown in his memory for his love of animals would not be wasted and would be appreciated.