Edward “Ed” Arthur Newman of Olympia, WA passed away peacefully June 29, 2016 at the age of 95. Ed was born February 9, 1921, the second son of Byrd Farmer Newman and Caroline Ernestine Rollwitz in Missoula, Montana. Along with brother Fred B. Newman and later by sister Rose L. Prendergast, the family lived in Polson Montana. Ed was proceeded in death by his wife Connie and his brother and sister. Ed is survived by both of his children Alan and Robert, their wives, his three grandchildren Nicholas Newman, Arthur Newman and Leann Du Prey, and one great-granddaughter Gwendolyn.
One of the Great Generation that fought in World War II, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 where he served in the Mediterranean portion of the war effort. He was injured while fighting the enemy in northern Italy in 1945. He was Honorably Discharged and returned to Montana and worked odd jobs until moving to Seattle, WA where Ed worked as an electronics repairman for a number of companies. Ed married Constance Patricia Rose on December 28, 1948. This happy union brought two children Alan Richard and Robert Arthur. The family later moved to Silverdale, Washington where Ed worked at the Keyport Naval Torpedo station for 16 years before retiring. He eventually moved to Olympia, Washington to be closer to his son Alan and his family.
Ed was deeply involved with his family and with helping young people grow into caring adults. He was a leader of the Boy Scout Troop where he helped his sons and their friends earn their Eagle ranks. Even after his sons were in college, Ed returned to the Boy Scout Troop to lead and guide another group of teens into adulthood.
After retirement, Ed became involved in rockhounding. He traveled with his wife to dig rocks all over Washington and much of the Western US. With the rocks he collected he produced many pieces of fine jewelry with both ground and polished semi-precious stones. Later as his ability to dig rocks out of the ground diminished, Ed became expert at cutting and polishing gem stones. During this time, Ed spent many happy hours teaching children in both the Kitsap Gem and Mineralogical Society and local school districts about geology and gem stones through the ages.
Always needing to be busy, after the death of his wife and his next companion Jean Smith, he then took up turning wood blocks into objects such as pens, platters and bowls. This and his continued good humor and caring for others is what he was involved with during the last years of his life with his final companion, Bertha Johnson.
A graveside service will be held July 15, 2016 at 1 o’clock in the afternoon at Woodlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in his name to Catholic Community Services or another similar group.