Retired APS principal and Arbor Terrace resident dies of COVID-19
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - A retired Atlanta Public Schools principal dies of COVID-19 at Emory Midtown Hospital, marking the 17th death at a South Fulton assisted living facility.
"My father was certainly a leader. They called him captain. He took his fatherhood seriously and he took being a husband seriously," son Clarence Lewis Jr. told FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor during a Zoom interview from his Detroit home Monday.
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Clarence Lewis Sr. was 89 years old and died at Emory Midtown Hospital Friday. Mr. Lewis was a lifelong educator and started his career as a teacher, but rose to the level of principal. He was an administrator at several schools such as the old Smith High School and Continental Colony Elementary. The Radcliffe Presbyterian church member and his wife Virginia moved to Arbor Terrace Assisted Living in January. His son says that is where he contracted the deadly virus. Clarence Jr. recalls just last week, his father celebrated his 89th birthday in a hospital bed at Emory Midtown,
"We celebrated his birthday via Zoom on the 22nd of April. He had his best friends on the call and his immediate family and the pastor of Radcliff Baptist Church.
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Mr. Lewis' son says his father was devoted to his alma mater, Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University. He also secured his masters in education from Clark and coached the football team part-time. In 1992, he was inducted into the CAU Hall of Fame.
"He literally headed up the alumni association where he has raised a lot of money. My father has always done two things He has given back to Clark on consistent bases and he was a tither at Radcliff Presbyterian Church," his son said.
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Mr. Lewis says his concerns now surround his mother who is still a resident at Arbor Terrace. She is 89 years old and COVID-19 negative. He says the staff has been exemplary but calls on the ownership to be transparent and understand how critical retesting for current residents is.
"Given the results of these tests and the error rate associated with these tests, we really would like retesting to be done, We were told they are not retesting.", Lewis Jr. recalled.
The owners of Arbor Terrace told FOX 5, they have consulted with the Fulton County Board of Health and the agency does not advise retesting at this time. The company says it will continue to monitor resident symptoms daily.
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