A theater group in Bucks County is mourning the loss of one of their most important members while remembering his time acting and singing.

The Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society, headquartered in Doylestown, announced the passing of Wilbur Watkins Lewis, a longtime member known for his leading roles in various performances. He was killed in a car accident on Monday morning. He had just performed as the Pooh-Bah in “The Mikado”, which ran from June 16 – 18 at Delaware Valley University.

The day before the accident, Lewis had attended a party of the cast members, where he “went around chatting, hugging, and telling cast members how he loved them and loved performing with them,” according to a member of the organization.

Lewis was a longtime member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He first performed the role of the Pooh-Bah about 44 years ago with the group’s New York organization. He was known for his magnificent singing voice and his musicianship with the mandolin.

Over the course of his career, Lewis also performed with the Barnard Gilbert & Sullivan Club, the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, the Village Light Opera Group, and the British/American Light Opera Exchange.

In operatic performances, he appeared with Liederkranz Opera, Regina Opera, Vineyard Opera Shop, Amore Opera, the Mozart Opera Project, to name a few.

These are just a handful of the achievements he made in his long and illustrious career. Along with “The Mikado”, Lewis also performed in “Cox and Box” and “The Pirates of Penzance” with the Bucks County group.

“I have rarely seen a Pooh-Bah who was so very expressive and funny, even in a professional production,” one audience member recently said.

Learn more about Lewis at the Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

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