Mary Weingarth Newton

After combating cancer for six and one-half years, Mary Winifred Weingarth Newton passed away on December 21, 2024, at age eighty-five. She was born October 20, 1939, in Kansas City, MO, and at an early age, moved with her family to San Mateo, CA, where she attended St. Mathew’s Catholic School through elementary grades. Moving to CO, she attended Littleton Middle School and Littleton High School. At LHS, she was a majorette and cheer leader, was Homecoming Queen, and graduated in 1957. She attended Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education. She was a member of Pi Kappa Sigma Sorority (later merged into Alpha Phi) and served as a pledge trainer. She was a member of Spur, a scholastic honorary. She served as president of Angel Flight, an Air Force ROTC auxiliary, and was selected as CSC Homecoming Queen in her junior year.

Meeting in college, Mary married Ronald James Newton in 1961, and the couple resided in CO where she taught home economics, typing, and theater at Nunn High School. Moving to Fairfield, CA, she taught elementary students at Travis Air Force Base, then relocated with Ronald to Cheyenne, WY, to teach junior high school home economics. Starting in 1966 and financially supporting her graduate student husband at Texas A&M University, she served as an academic clerical assistant, a bank executive secretary, a dental assistant, and a Tupperware salesperson. Utilizing her innate entrepreneurial spirit, she and a friend established an art/craft consignment shop, Little Dickens, followed by her singular establishment of the coffee/tea shop, PrioriTEAS. Later, she opened a combined coffee/tea shop and restaurant, Kaffee Klatsch. As a business owner in the Bryan-College Station, TX community for thirty years, she was active in community affairs, particularly the B-CS Chamber of Commerce. She served as a Board Director, and as an effective membership recruiter, she was the first woman selected for the prestigious B-CSCC Blazers. She hosted a TV show, Show of Hands, featuring the handcraft talent of local creative artists.

Recognizing her business acumen, she was solicited to teach entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University College of Business. Mary was an alum advisor and president of the House Corporation Board for the Epsilon Omega chapter of TAMU’s Alpha Phi Sorority. She was a Board Director for both the Bluebonnet Psychiatric Center and the Boys Club and a volunteer for the American Red Cross.

When Ronald became affiliated with East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, Mary assumed philanthropic fundraising responsibilities associated with ECU’s student art gallery and the university women’s scholarship creation program, and John Paul II High School’s development activities. Arriving in Coppell, TX, in 2017, she joined women’s groups in St. Ann Catholic Church and the Coppell community, became an advocate for safe beauty products, and established a shopping mall antique booth, Mimi’s Attic.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents Frederick Charles Weingarth II and Agnes Jelinek Weingarth and is survived by: her husband, Ronald James Newton; her children Courtney Christopher Newton (Jennifer Royston Newton), Brooke Allison Newton Minteer (Scott Alan Minteer); her grandchildren Taylor Sage Newton (21), Grace Ella Minteer (18), Sam Newton Minteer (16), Hazel Jelinek Newton (15); and her brother, Frederick Charles Weingarth III (Janice Kleinberg Weingarth).

Mary’s wonderful lifetime can best be personified as a response to the biblical exhortation of Peter (1 Peter 4:10): “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Exploiting her unique capabilities in helping others, she constantly displayed her unselfish kindness and generosity. She made a positive difference in the lives of her family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers. The world is a better, more hopeful place because Mary lovingly walked among many as their servant.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: The University of Northern Colorado, The Laura Dreier and James Elmer Newton Scholarship Fund, The UNC Foundation, Judy Farr Center, 1620 Reservoir Road, Greeley, CO 80631.

www.give2unc.org/donatenow

Under Designation choose "Other". In the notes field, direct your donation to "James Elmer and Laura Dreier Newton Scholarship Endowment."

A Rosary prayer service will be held on Thursday January 23rd @ Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, Coppell starting @ 6:30 with the rosary @ 7:00pm.

Mary’s funeral & Going Away Party (her words) will be held Friday January 24th @ 10a at St Ann Catholic Parish in Coppell. Lunch will be served following at the church.

We look forward to seeing you & sharing scriptures, songs, memories & recipes that Mary chose for this beautiful occasion.