Frederic Hewitt - Obituary

rederic Maxcy “Rip” Hewitt, 94, of Annapolis, died September 26. He was born Sept. 16, 1916, in Baltimore, and was the son of James Richard and Caro Maxcy Hewitt. He graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1935, where he lettered in lacrosse, football and ice hockey, and later served as president of the Poly Alumni Association. In 1941, he received his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, where he was the president of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Delta Phi Chapter and played several sports, including football and lacrosse. He coached junior varsity lacrosse from 1940 to 1941, and was a life member of the University of Maryland Terrapin Club. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers in 1941, serving in the European Theatre, and earned the Bronze Star, Ninth Army, Rhine River Campaign. He was discharged as Major in 1946, whereupon he enlisted in the Maryland National Guard, and served as Commander of the 121st Engineers Battalion, 29th Infantry Division. He retired in 1961 as Colonel after 20 years of military service. He played lacrosse for the Mt. Washington Lacrosse Club from 1932 to 1942 and 1946 to 1951, where he served as assistant coach and head coach from 1952 to 1956. In 1948, he was a member of the U.S. Men’s Field Hockey Team at the London Olympics. Rip worked in HVAC sales and contracting and was a partner and later president of Taze & Hewitt Engineers before his retirement in 1980. He was a past president of the Baltimore Engineering Society, the Baltimore Rotary Club, the Lacrosse Hall of Fame Foundation and the U.S. Olympians Capital Chapter. He was an active member of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers) for many years. He was a lifelong Episcopalian and an active church leader, serving as a Vestryman and Diocesan leader. Over his life, he received many honors, including the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition from the Baltimore Rotary Club. He was elected into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1971 and the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. He received the Baltimore Engineering Society Founders Award in 1984 and the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Distinguished Alumni Award in 1990. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, James R. Hewitt and Barton G. Hewitt; and sister, Blanche H. Anderson. He is survived by his wife, Sallie Willis Hewitt; three daughters, Carol H. Melvin of Eden, N.C., Kay H. Holmes (P.K.) of Ft. Smith, AR and Betsy H. Schreitmueller (Alan R.) of Annapolis; four grandchildren, James Frederic Melvin, Lucy Melvin, Christopher Holmes and Stephen Holmes; one great-granddaughter, Cecilia Melvin; cousin, Frederic R. Maxcy; and nieces and nephews. Friends are invited to Rip’s Life Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 30 at the Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 2 at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 1120 Spa Road, Annapolis. Interment private. Memorials contributions may be made to the Engineering Society of Baltimore, 11 West Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD 21201, the U.S. Lacrosse Foundation, 113 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21210 or University of Maryland “M” Club, Comcast Center, College Park, MD 20742.