Donnie Ray Lewis was a prominent and highly influential figure in North Carolina's agricultural and business sectors, recognized for his lifelong career in farming, leadership in agribusiness, and significant role in the tobacco industry. He founded Lewis Farms, Inc. in 1994, building on a farming career that began in 1961, and was a deeply embedded community leader in Harnett County, actively participating in civic and religious life as a lifelong member and deacon of Prospect Free Will Baptist Church, where his involvement reflected his commitment to traditional rural values. As the long-time owner and President of Harnett Tractor Company, a high-performing John Deere dealership, he served the regional farming community for decades. His business acumen transformed this local equipment dealership into a major regional enterprise through his co-founding of Quality Equipment, LLC, which consolidated numerous dealerships into one of the largest John Deere networks in the Southeastern United States. He was also a key stakeholder in the processing side of the industry as a co-founder of Quality Gin Co. His agricultural and commercial legacy not only contributed to the local economy but provided the economic foundation and power base that bolstered the political career of his son, David Ray Lewis, in the North Carolina House of Representatives and General Assembly. His death in 2014 was noted as the loss of a foundational pillar in the North Carolina agribusiness community.