The public memorial for Stephen Lewis (1937–2026) was held at the Chrysalis Theatre at Toronto Metropolitan University on Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. More than 1,000 people gathered in person; approximately 1,500 watched the livestream around the world. CPAC carried a special broadcast of the service.
Watch
- CPAC broadcast: https://www.cpac.ca/cpac-special/episode/memorial-service-for-stephen-lewis—april-26-2026?id=722b2de4-4442-408c-bb62-79d8409b9bec
- YouTube (CPAC channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW0wBA7T9K4
Family eulogies
The program closed with tributes from the three Lewis–Landsberg children. Each is archived as a separate transcript here:
- [Avi Lewis — Memorial tribute (April 26, 2026)](./2026-04-26 — avi-lewis-memorial-tribute.md) — opens the family segment; introduces his sisters and his mother Michele Landsberg; tells the story of the llama, the cigar, the second-finger typing, and Stephen’s “socialism of the heart.”
- [Jenny Lewis — Memorial tribute (April 26, 2026)](./2026-04-26 — jenny-lewis-memorial-tribute.md) — tells the story of the 49 hotel-soap boxes, each holding a piece of jewelry chosen on a trip to New Zealand, and remembers Stephen as “my generous, silly, irreverent, supportive, and corduroy suit-wearing dad.”
- [Ilana Landsberg-Lewis — Memorial tribute (April 26, 2026)](./2026-04-26 — ilana-landsberg-lewis-memorial-tribute.md) — recounts founding the Stephen Lewis Foundation with her father in 2003, his rejection of the foundation being named after him (“Well, call it the Grassroots Action Foundation”), and his unreserved welcome of her coming out and the arrival of her sons.
In lieu of flowers
In honour of Stephen, the family asked for donations to the Stephen Lewis Foundation: https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/