Court No. 1 dedication set for Tuesday
Court No. 1 at Aston Park Tennis Center will be dedicated in honor of Lewis Isaac, during an official ceremony Tuesday, November 5th. The dedication, which is free and open to the public, is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. near the north entrance at Aston Park Tennis Center at 336 Hilliard Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801
Scheduled speakers include Bob Smith, Building Bridges Retired Community Relations member; Laura Loftis, Manager at Aston Park | Tennis Center; Jeff Joyce, President Asheville Tennis Association and Asheville City Council member, Julie Mayfield. Plus a very special tribute in song, performed by the Asheville Youth Choir , under the direction of Musical Director, Clark Sorrels.
Loftis expressed gratitude to all those who worked together at the City of Asheville Parks & Recreation department and Asheville City Council along with overwhelming community support and input who were all determined and helped make the dedication a reality.
Lewis Isaac played tennis at the Aston Park Tennis Center for decades. An ardent supporter of Public Tennis, he served with a group of many Aston Park supporters in working with local government officials in keeping Aston Park open to everyone in the Asheville area. The Asheville Tennis Community loved Lewis and his big heart for service to others. He was a long-time member of the USTA, the governing body of tennis in the United States.
Lewis retired as Chief of Human Resources at the VA Medical Center after 27 years of service, then later retired from City of Asheville Human Resources. A fixture on the Asheville tennis scene and former longtime City of Asheville employee he will be recognized for his dedication to both. At their Sept. 10 meeting, Asheville City Council voted to name Court 1 at Aston Park Tennis Center, 336 Hilliard Ave., in memory of the late Lewis Isaac. He died June 2, 2019.
Following his retirement, he served on many boards, including the City’s Recreation Board. Isaac was a volunteer for many local organizations, including the Building Bridges, United Way, Our Voice and MANNA Food Bank along with these, to say he made a contribution to our community , would be putting in lightly.
Lewis Isaac was involved with several groups and organizations on many boards and membershipshere was his active list upon his death:
American Red Cross
American Society for Training and Development – Western Carolina Chapter
Asheville City Schools
Asheville Housing Authority
Asheville Parks and Recreation
Asheville Tennis Association
Asheville Track Club
Alcoholic Beverage Control
BB&T
Building Bridges
Combined Federal Campaign
Manna Food Bank
North Carolina Governor’s Council on Sickle Cell & Related Disorders
Our Voice
RiverLink
YMCA
United States Tennis Association
United Way
Awards:
Excellence in Public Service for both City of Asheville and the Greater Asheville Area
Council asked residents for their input on Open City Hall Asheville before making this designation.More than 120 people responded to the survey and their response was unanimously in favor. Some of the comments included:
“Lewis was a gift to our community and a true public servant. His passion for tennis was palpable, and memorializing him with this honor would be a great way to recognize his commitment to our community.”
“Lewis was an authentic contributor to the Asheville community both through service as an employee and a volunteer. I support this honorary naming opportunity and only wish he were here to accept the honor.”
“Lewis Isaac made a difference in this community. He should be remembered and celebrated PLUS he loved tennis!”
Learn more about his exemplary life and accomplishments at this link: http://bit.ly/2lOFSFv
For more information, please contact Lora Loftis at lloftis@ashevillenc.gov. Tel. 828.552.9244
- Asheville Tennis Association -