Claude “Skip” Hewitt, age 76, of Ithaca, passed away May 26, 2023.
A celebration of Skip’s life will be held at the Taughannock State Park central pavilion on Sunday, September 10 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Skip was born on August 20, 1946 in Ithaca, New York, the son of Fay D. Hewitt, a local businessman and realtor, and Gladys Watt Hewitt. He was the second of two boys. He was predeceased by his older brother, Fay D. Hewitt. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Georgia Howe; his two sons, Matthew (Cassie) of Fairview Park, Ohio and Gregory (partner Angela Brooks) of Brooktondale, New York; and his grandchildren Julie, Cooper, and Ian, Grayson, & Graham Hewitt.
Skip grew up in a family with many business outreaches in Ithaca, and for many years he helped his father and older brother, Fay, with their hardware store and real estate endeavors. He went on to work for Rose, Kimball, and Baxter in Buffalo, New York, Citizens Savings Bank, Tompkins County Trust Company, M&T Bank, and Cornell Federal Credit Union, where he oversaw the residential mortgage department from 2000 until his retirement in 2005. He later worked as a private consultant in the banking, real estate, and appraisal industry.
After many years as a respected voice in the banking and financial industry, he retired in 2005. After retirement, he continued to strengthen the communities he served through his extensive volunteer work, and was especially proud of the work he did on the Ithaca Neighborhood Housing loan committee and through the Cancer Resource Center. He was instrumental in establishing the Men’s Cancer Support Breakfast Group.
Skip loved living in Ithaca and spent many hours fishing, golfing, and painting in its scenic beauty. He loved travel, as well, and the company of good friends and family. Skip and Georgia traveled widely. These are among the many things Skip accomplished in his life. However, what truly defined him were his legendary humor and jovial nature, his genuine & caring spirit, his contagious enjoyment of life, his gentle acceptance of things as they were but willingness to fight fiercely when needed, his generous and loving attention to the many friends and family members whom he loved and was loved by over the years, and, above all, his deep and abiding love of wife, Georgia, and his two sons & their families, whom he adored with all his heart.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a local charity of your choice.
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