Memorial planned for ‘Mask’

The memorial service for a Huntington Beach entrepreneur who died last week in an early-morning car collision in Newport Beach has been scheduled for April 14, his company announced Thursday.

Public services for Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., will start at 11 a.m. at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. The theme of the services, “Simply Believe” coincide with Lewis’ zest for life and drive to accomplish his goals.

Lewis was co-founder of TapouT, the exclusive clothing brand for Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed-martial arts fighting organization. Lewis’ co-founder, Dan “Punkass” Caldwell had this to say in a prepared statement:

“We first and foremost want to thank everyone — TapouT fans, Mixed-Martial Arts community and more — for their kind words and support in the wake of Mask’s death. Whether you’re a fan of MMA or not, Charles’ goal was to inspire people to make a difference in the world and never to settle for anything less than their dreams. With TapouT, he reached more people than we could have ever imagined, and his dedication to the sport and brand will live on forever through his fans around the world.”

Lewis was killed March 11 when he lost control of his Ferrari and smashed into a light pole on Jamboree Road north of Eastbluff Drive. A woman in the car’s passenger seat suffered broken bones and survived. Police continue to piece together what happened, but prosecutors have charged a 51-year-old Jeffrey Kirby of Costa Mesa with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, accusing him of causing Lewis’ crash with his own car driving alongside it.

A Newport Beach police officer headed the opposite way on Jamboree Road saw the two cars’ out-of-control moments before the crash, police said. Lt. Craig Fox said the officer saw Kirby’s car stop at the crash, then drive off.

Kirby was arrested about a block away, prosecutors say, as he was leaving the car, which he parked on the street.

Reporter JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.