The Lewis and D'Vette Family Legacy
1. American Roots: From Plymouth Colony to the East Coast (1632–1800s)
Our family’s documented American lineage stretches back nearly four centuries, beginning when George Lewes crossed the Atlantic from England and stepped ashore in the Plymouth Colony in 1632 just twelve years after the Mayflower landed. From there, generations of ancestors lived across Massachusetts and Connecticut.
William Henry Lewis I (born December 22, 1803, in Litchfield, Connecticut) He was rector for a number of years of the Church of the Holy Trinity, in Brooklyn, N.Y. until 1861 he was the son of Ozias Lewis (born 1777)
William Henry Lewis II (born in Litchfield in 1842) initially pursued ministerial studies before answering the call of service during the American Civil War. He enlisted, rose to the rank of Captain in the 19th Connecticut Infantry (later the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery), and was wounded at the Battle of Winchester in September 1864. Following the war, he completed his education at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and likewise entered the Episcopal priesthood, serving as a long-time rector in Bridgeport at St. John’s Church in Connecticut.
Plymouth Colony in 1632
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Battle of Winchester in September 1864
William Henry Lewis II
2. The Visionary: E.G. Lewis, Women’s Suffrage, the St. Louis World’s Fair, and Atascadero
My great-great-uncle, Edward Gardner (E.G.) Lewis one of the most remarkable, visionary entrepreneurs in early 20th-century American history:
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Champion of Women’s Rights & Suffrage: Long before women won the right to vote nationally with the 19th Amendment in 1920, E.G. Lewis was at the absolute forefront of the Suffrage movement. As head of the Lewis Publishing Company, he published The Woman’s Magazine and Woman's Farm Journal, reaching over 2.5 million female readers. He founded the American Woman's League (1907) and the American Woman's Republic (1911)—organizations explicitly created to empower women financially, provide educational resources, and organize politically for voting rights.
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The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair & University City: In 1902, anticipating the massive 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the St. Louis World’s Fair), E.G. purchased land directly adjacent to the fairgrounds. He founded University City, Missouri (serving as its first mayor), constructed the stunning Woman's Magazine Building (now University City's historic City Hall), and installed the world's largest searchlight on top of the tower to shine across the World's Fair. During the fair itself, he established "Camp Lewis"—a vast, master-planned tent city that comfortably housed thousands of visiting families and subscribers right outside the fairgrounds.
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Building Atascadero: Bringing that same grand scale to California in 1913, E.G. purchased 23,000 acres of Rancho Atascadero to build a master-planned, self-sustaining utopian colony from scratch. He designed the iconic Atascadero Administration Building (The Rotunda)—modeled in part after his St. Louis architecture and now a registered California Historical Landmark.
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The Family Connection: Decades later, my grandfather, William Henry Lewis III (born in Toronto in 1914), helped design Atascadero’s expanded 18-hole golf course. Growing up I would walk those very grounds as he taught me how to play golf and I swept the floors of the museum inside Atascadero’s historic core, keeping that generational connection alive.
3. Mid-Century California: Aerospace Leadership, Hollywood, and Creative Roots
The modern branches of the family converged right in the middle of Southern California’s mid-century cultural and industrial boom:
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The Aerospace Boom & Executive Leadership: My great-grandfather on my mother's side, H.E. Ryker, served as a Vice President at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Burbank during World War II and the postwar aviation expansion, driving manufacturing and materiel production during the pivotal era that defined American aerospace history. My grandfather Fred Ryker was H. E.s adopted son and he also worked at Lockheed and that is where he met my grandmother Lana.
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Actress & Bartender: My mother, Sharon Bessie Ryker (born in Los Angeles), worked as a screen actress during the golden era of 1960s Hollywood, appearing as Jackie in the cult classic musical-comedy/spy film The Nasty Rabbit (1964) (also known under alternative releases like Spies A-Go-Go, featuring iconic actor Richard Kiel). She was the 1st woman to be featured on the cover of Patterson's California beverage journal and helped lead the way for getting women into the bartenders guild.
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Movie & TV Soundman: My grandmother, Lana Sutton, was married to Hollywood production sound mixer and supervisor Rod Sutton. Rod’s sound engineering captured the audio for legendary TV shows like Dragnet (Season 1) alongside cult horror/sci-fi films like King Dinosaur (1955), The Slime People (1963), The Return of Count Yorga (1971) It Lives By Night (1974), and Hangar 18 (1980).
Edward G Lewis
American Womans League
Atascadero City Hall 1920
Mabel Gertrude Wellington
Sharon Ryker
Fred, Lana, Sharon, Will, Mable Grace & William H Lewis III
Fred Ryker
Rod & Lana Sutton
Actor Stuntman & Musician: I was raised from ages 3 to 9 by Bill Willens a prolific classic Hollywood actor and industry professional whose screen work and credits spanned films like All the President's Men (1976), The Hunter (1980), Brainstorm (1983), and Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) along with television roles including Different Strokes. Bill was also a guitar player in several bands in Los Angeles in the 1970s and was a major influence in my musical career.
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Bill’s older brother was the fearless Hollywood stuntman Marvin Willens, whose stunt work and doubling included high-profile Hollywood features such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) (where he performed stunts and doubled for Phil Silvers) and 4 for Texas (1963) staring Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin. Despite spending his later years in a wheelchair from the heavy physical toll of high falls and action sequences, Marvin lived life on his own terms savoring fine food, great wine, and an island life in Tahiti.
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Navy Service & Visual Arts: My stepfather, Dennis Ling, brought a background of service in the United States Navy paired with a sharp eye and technical craft as a professional photographer, adding another layer of visual storytelling and discipline to the family's artistic tapestry.
Bill Willens (Actor & Stuntman)
Bill Willens & Billy (1972)
Marvin Willens
Dennis R Ling (Navy)
Billy & Dennis (1987)
4. Bill & Tina
William H Lewis V (Billy D'Vette) met Tina Ragasa (born in Redondo Beach May 1971) at Universal Studios in Hollywood in 1994 and lived in Toluca Lake, CA and were married on September 20th 1997 and had two daughters Kayla Brie Lewis ( born in Burbank 1998) and Siena Skye Lewis (Born in Burbank, CA 2000) in 2006 they moved from Valencia CA, to Colorado when I was transferred for work for IBM and we moved to Highlands Ranch, CO.
Bill & Tina 1997
Bill, Kayla, Siena & Tina (2006)
Dennis, Billy, Bill W, Tina, Kayla, Siena & Sharon
6. The Musical Continuation & Legacy
The creative and independent streak passed down through the generations. Following a lifelong passion for music forged in Los Angeles, you built a career as a lead guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer, earning multiple nominations for Entertainer of the Year from the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame under your performing name, Billy D'Vette, carrying the William H. Lewis V name forward into a new chapter.
6. The Complete Lewis Family Tree
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William Henry Lewis V was born on April 11, 1965 in Los Angeles. His Mother was Sharon Bessie Ryker and his Father was
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William Henry Lewis IV was born on February 21, 1944 in Los Angeles. His Mother was Mabel Grace Mitchell and his Father was
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William Henry Lewis III was born on February 12, 1914 in Toronto, Canada. His Mother was Lucile Falardeau and his Father was
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George Bartow Lewis was born on June 14, 1881 in Philadelphia. His Mother was Catherine Edwards and his Father was
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William Henry Lewis II was born on July 16, 1844 in Brooklyn. His Mother was Emeline Bartow and his Father was
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William Henry Lewis I was born on December 22, 1803 in Litchfield, Connecticut. His Mother was Mary Jones and his Father was
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Ozias Lewis was born on December 16, 1777 in Litchfield, Connecticut. His Mother was Lucy Bigelow and his Father was
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Ozias Lewis was born on October 6, 1749 in Guilford, Connecticut. His Mother was Mary Maltby and his Father was
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Gershom Lewis was born on December 30, 1704 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. His Mother was Elizabeth Huckins and his Father was
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John Lewes was born on January 11, 1666 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. His Mother was Hannah Cobb and his Father was
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Edward Lewes was born on May 9, 1633 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. His Mother was Sarah Jenkins and his Father was
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George Lewes was born in East Greenwich, Kenty County, England and came to Plymouth Colony in 1632.
