Obituary of Lew Ahrens

Lew Ahrens was a man of tremendous faith, generosity and gratitude who died on Friday, May 25, 2018 following a long illness. Lew was born in Hornell, NY on November 28, 1942 . He was the third of nine children of the late Adolph and Millicent Ahrens. He is predeceased by his brother, Bret Ahrens. He worked as a civil engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation for 36 years; and upon retirement chose to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), helping those most in need before, during and after disasters. He loved nature, being outdoors, took great care and interest in animals and embraced any opportunity to be of service to others. He leaves his wife of 45 years, Cynthia with whom he shared many wonderful memories. His two sons, Jeff (Anne) and Steve (Claire), were blessed to have a father with such a generous and gracious spirit; sensibilities they endeavor to apply every day. Grandchildren Andrew, Catherine and Stephanie are left to carry on his great legacy. In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, he is survived by brothers Bruce Ahrens of Stevensville, MI, Judd Ahrens (Kay) of Lynchburg, VA, Rex Ahrens (Jane) of Spencerport, NY, and Mark Ahrens (Pam) of Hornell, NY. Also sisters Marcia Ahrens of Hornell, NY, Polly Hamilton (Joe) of Avoca, NY, and Christi Cornell (Ron) of Hornell, NY. A service to honor his life will be held at Harvest Baptist Church, Bath, NY on Wednesday, May 30 at 11am. If you wish, donations, may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America or GiGi's Playhouse in Rochester, New York. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the M. David DeMarco Funeral Home, Inc., Monroe Twp., NJ.