Junior Wayne Newman

J Wayne Newman of Bella Vista, AR passed into the arms of his Lord on September 10, 2019 at Circle of Life Legacy House in Bentonville, AR. Wayne was born February 12, 1940, in Elkland, Mo. Raised on a farm in Fair Grove, MO, by parents Ralph and Katie Newman, Wayne attended Fair Grove Public Schools where he excelled in basketball and performed in school plays. After graduation, Wayne attended Southwest Missouri State University and then DeVry Institute where he studied electronic engineering technology.

After graduation Wayne was employed by General Dynamics where he quickly rose to senior engineering technician at the NASA tracking station in Guam for the Apollo missions eight through eleven. In his spare time, Wayne and friends earned date money by snorkeling to catch tropical fish, which they sold to pet stores.

After his NASA years, Wayne worked for Dupont as senior field engineer and completed his work career with Thermo Dynamics in 2008.

More important to Wayne than his work was his family. Wayne is survived by his son Chris and Chris’s wife Sara of Kansas City, KS, his son Michael and Michael’s wife Val of Omaha, NE, and his stepdaughter Rochelle Paulet of Aurora, CO. Wayne is also survived by his grandchildren Landrie, Price, Louise, Violet and Wesley.

Wayne’s interests in addition to his family and his work included golf, snorkeling, tennis, video games, gardening, genealogy, and cooking. His skills with a brisket and smoker led his family to nickname him “The Ribmeister” and Wayne mentored several family members in mastering a good barbecue.

In the final decade of his life, Wayne battled a hemangioglioblastoma with a determination that astounded his doctors. Six brain surgeries and two rounds of radiation gave him the gift of time to fish, cook and play golf until the final year took his vision. Wayne will be profoundly missed by his devoted wife Dot and by his family.

A private celebration of life will be held at Lake Pointe in Bella Vista. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Wayne’s favorite charity St Jude’s Children’s Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate