Nelson Lewis, a former stalwart member of the Whitehorse food industry and former Star columnist, died April 17 at a Princeton, B.C. nursing home.

His column Klondike Cuisine was the saving grace of the Braeburn Lodge a generation ago when its-then proprietors were going to shut it down.

Lewis and his family moved to Whitehorse in 1972, said his daughter, Lisa.

He and his wife, Marjorie, spent many years catering, operating and managing the Airport Chalet, The Sandman Inn's café and dining rooms among other restaurants.

He also taught the vocational cooking course at the former vocational school, which has since evolved into Yukon College, and a two month outdoor cooking course every summer in the bush teaching how to cook a variety of fare on a fire/tripod/homemade oven, outside.

Lewis also wrote for Outdoor Canada and B.C.Outdoors, had a real-time cooking show on CBC radio (which also published a CBC cookbook of his recipes, and had a column in the Spotlight, Princeton's newspaper.

He was a teacher, photographer, hunting/fishing guide and chef (even cooking for Queen Elizabeth).

His published books include two recipe books, two Yukon/Canadian novels, Alias Albert Johnson and Once Winter Comes, and others. Steve's Universe was the publisher for the two novels.

Former Yukon artist Ted Harrison, a family friend, painted Lewis with his chef hat on in his own unique style.