Slain Chicago businessman Jerry Lewis remembered as mentor in construction industry
A Chicago businessman known for helping mentor others is being remembered after he was shot and killed in the middle of the day on Tuesday on the Near West Side near the United Center.
Jerry Lewis, 67, was shot and killed around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday as he was walking near Madison and Leavitt streets, about three blocks from the United Center. Police said two people with handguns approached him and shot him in the head.
He was then taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead.
Family and friends on Wednesday remembered him as a man who gave back to others. His wife, Zandra, described him as "a loving husband, father and grandfather; hardworking man, not selfish."
"He wanted everybody to succeed. He helped others all the time, and that's just who he was," she said.
Lewis' family and friends said he was a successful contractor and developer who taught and mentored others in the construction industry.
Longtime friend Parker Turner, who said he met Lewis nearly 29 years ago, was one of those who learned skills and knowledge from him, including through the 1901 Community Implementation Committee, a project to redevelop the area around the United Center.
Turner said he wants the community to remember his friend "as a guy who dedicated his life and time to helping other people."
Traci Quinn, CEO of Pink Hats Construction & Development Group, an all-women residential and commercial remodeling firm, said she immediately dropped everything when she heard Lewis had been shot and ran to the scene.
"That's when I saw the red tape and I just bawled," she said.
Quinn said Lewis advocated for minority-owned firms like hers to compete for projects and help the community thrive. Now she and others hope to carry on his legacy of giving back.
"The one thing I can say about Jerry, about Jerry Lewis, was he fought for his community," she said.
Police were questioning two people of interest about the shooting on Wednesday. No charges have been announced.
