Bear River basketball coach Lewis dies of heart attack

Many were shocked and saddened to hear the news early Sunday of the passing of Bear River High School boys basketball coach Ralph Lewis. Just before 10 p.m. Saturday night, Lewis posted a long message on his "Ralph Lewis Basketball Academy" Facebook page indicating he had tested positive for COVID-19 but as of Saturday had received a second negative test and was feeling "much better" and was "about 50%" back to health. Sunday, his family confirmed that he died of a heart attack. He was 54. Bear River Principal Chris Roberts said he spoke with Lewis' wife, Katie, shortly after his passing. "He seemed fine that morning, according to Katie," Roberts said. "He did some work around the house, came in to watch TV and fell asleep. He was unresponsive when she tried waking him up." According to Roberts, Lewis spent the last six years coaching boys and girls basketball for the Bruins. He also spent the last three years as Bear River's campus security monitor. "He was always making connections with kids and finding ways to earn their trust," Roberts said. "We're going to miss his smiling face around campus." The son of a former boxing trainer who once coached George Foreman to Olympic gold in 1968, Lewis was known for his uncanny ability to connect with students and his basketball players. He was said to have always been available if someone needed help, whether they were on the basketball team or not. "Most of my memories about Ralph don't have a lot to do with basketball," said Jeff Bickmore, who coached with Lewis at Bear River for the last several years. "He was such a generous guy. I remember I was working a Saturday school one day and he stopped by and brought me Jamba Juice. He was always thinking about other people, always happy, always positive, and it made you want to do better." Lewis' oldest son, Jalen, remembers that generosity extending to the players his dad coached. There were times when Lewis opened his home to players who were going through struggles off the court. "We would have someone live with us for a while," Jalen Lewis said. "You weren't just part of the team, you were part of the family. Whether you were training or not, he always followed up, always stayed in touch. You were under his wing for life." On the court, Lewis emphasized tough, disciplined play. He had an acronym for his coaching motto called "HaNADwEEDaD," which stands for Hard Nosed, Aggressive Defense with Extra Effort, Desire and Determination. After moving to California from North Berwick, Maine, in 2009, Lewis' local coaching stints included stops at Placer, Foresthill and Bear River high schools. "Ralph was a very important part of our program," said Bear River Athletic Director Scott Savoie. "He was always looking out for our kids throughout the day as a security person for our campus. He was a dedicated coach, a very good basketball coach, and our coaches and our community are going to miss him dearly." Jalen Lewis said Ralph tested positive for COVID-19 around Easter and was in isolation in his room for weeks. He received two negative tests days before his passing. "The whole COVID lockdown in hindsight turned out to be the best blessing," Jalen Lewis said. "He was able to watch every movie he ever wanted to watch. He was able to call his old friends, talk to players. He had all this time on his hands and was able to catch up. He was in a good place." Other common themes surrounding Ralph Lewis' circles were his general love of sports and his great conversational skills. "His big thing was always informing us of things in the past and cultural relevance," Jalen Lewis said. "We could sit and talk for hours about what the Knicks were actually like. He loved baseball. It doesn't matter what the subject was, we could dive in for hours, debate, and have conversations like who was the best ever or who would beat who. Those are times that I cherish the most." Ralph Lewis is survived by wife Katie, sons Jalen, 25, and Cole, 22, and daughter Raven, 21.