Lewis "Lee" J. Hemmis, 90, a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, passed away May 17, 2009 at the Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was born April 6, 1919 at Morrisdale, PA. the son of John "Jack" and Agnes Yingling Hemmis.

Lee was a musician. He played, repaired and made stringed instruments. Lee played bass fiddle behind Perry Como, seven nights a week, when they were teenagers. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in World War II, as a navigator. Lee became a radar navigation specialist and served in Europe from before D-day, as a member of the Troop Transport Command. He was a ham radio operator. Lee's call sign was K3VLQ.

Back home, he made a living for himself, his first wife, Mary and their son Brian, as a professional photographer, doing weddings, portraits, commercial and newspaper photography. He and Mary were married almost 50 years. In 2002, he moved from Erie, PA, to Northwest Arkansas, where he met and married Norma Tomboulian, his wife at the time of his death.

Survivors include his wife, Norma Tomboulian; one son, Brian M. Hemmis of Fairview Park, Ohio; one grandchild and one great-grandchild.

No service will be held in Arkansas.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.