FALLEN LOCAL U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN COMMEMORATED AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

Sheila Chalmers-Currin- Mayor of Matteson, Illinois. Photo courtesy of STH Media.
Sheila Chalmers-Currin- Mayor of Matteson, Illinois. Photo courtesy of STH Media.


FALLEN LOCAL U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN COMMEMORATED AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP 

 

The Family of U.S. Army Captain Antoine Marvin Lewis publicly detailed his advocacy for education and his undying Love for youth.  Military Veterans showed support


(Matteson, Illinois)- Sheila Chalmers-Currin- Mayor of Matteson, Illinois-joined by area elected officials, business leaders, residents , and the family of fallen U.S Army Captain Antione Lewis who tragically lost his life while traveling on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight, enroute to Africa, where he was working to help establish an international commerce program for young men.

 

That tragic day of March 10th,  2019, left an undying focus on his family to continue Captain Lewis’s work in the community where he had a profound impact on young men. His body of work not only within his military responsibilities, but in neighborhoods throughout Chicagoland was second to none and was executed in a spirit of excellence. To that end, the family will also announce a new scholarship bearing his name.

 

The scholarship will award African American male college freshmen who plan to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) with $2,500 each. Recipients will remain eligible for continued financial support for all four years of college, provided they meet scholarship criteria.


The Rich Township High School District 227 ROTC will be on hand as well as male students from the district.

 

Captain Antoine Marvin Lewis was born on May 9, 1979, in Chicago, Illinois. In 1983, his parents, Rodney Alexia Lewis and Antoinette Lewis, relocated the family to Matteson, Illinois, where Antoine was raised and developed the values that would guide his life and leadership.

“Antoine loved the Chicagoland area and believed deeply in the power and potential of its young people,” said his widow, Yalena Lopez Lewis. “He wanted nothing more than to give back, invest in the next generation, and create opportunities for young African American men to rise, lead, and succeed.”

 

According to his wife, his mission reflected his lifelong belief that leadership extends beyond personal achievement. “Antoine understood that leadership is not simply about success for oneself,” Yalena Lopez Lewis added, “but about reaching back and lifting others along the way.”

 

Through this scholarship, the YKrystine Foundation is honored to continue Captain Lewis’s legacy by supporting students whose futures reflect the excellence, resilience, and sense of purpose he carried throughout his life. (www.ykrystinefoundation.org)

 

The scholarship application officially opened on May 10, 2026. This announcement comes during a poignant time for the family, as May 9 marks what would have been Captain Lewis’s 47th birthday. His family continues to cherish and miss his love, kindness, commitment to excellence, and his role as a model of integrity within both his family and the broader community.

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