Mariana Newton

Mariana Newton, 81, of Greensboro, NC, passed away December 12 at the WhiteStone Care and Wellness Center after several years of a courageous fight against Alzheimer’s disease. She was born August 4, 1938 in Long Beach, California to Ernest and Celia Newton of Lander, Wyoming. She was pre-deceased by her parents, and is survived by her older brother, James and her younger brother, Robert, and by their extended families. A memorial service will be held at 11:AM Monday, February 3, 2020 at St Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro.

Mariana attended primary and secondary school in Lander, Wyoming, graduating in 1956. She went on to attend Cottey College in Nevada, Mo. and subsequently attended the University of Redlands (California) where she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and Northwestern University (Illinois) where she earned her Ph.D. in the field of Speech and Communications Disorders.

Early in her career, Mariana worked for a short time in California, serving in a speech and hearing program of the Elks. Following her graduation from Northwestern, with the recommendation of her mentor, she accepted an appointment at UNC Greensboro. Thus, began her 35-year career at UNCG. During her tenure, she helped to develop and managed the University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, one of the first such programs in North Carolina. Later, she collaborated with others in the design of the doctoral program in Communications and Speech Disorders, and was instrumental in the design of the statewide consortium in the field providing masters degrees to professionals in the public schools. In addition, she was instrumental in writing and lobbying for the first licensure bill for speech-language pathologists and audiologists in North Carolina. Mariana served a term as President of the UNCG Faculty Senate, and actively participated in numerous programs and service within her profession locally, state-wide, nationally and internationally. Among awards from the University School of Health and Human Performance were the Teaching Excellence Award, 1998-1999, and in 2005 the Distinguished Service Award. In addition, she received recognition as Woman of the Year from a civic organization in Greensboro.

Mariana was very devoted to and an active member of St Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro, contributing in the choir, Stephens Ministry, the Vestry, book sales, and other projects. When the church decided to sponsor a Vietnamese refugee family, Mariana became involved with helping them learn English and maneuver through the various adjustments that living in the United States entail: attending and graduating from the various public schools and colleges, jobs, marriage and whatever came next. This, indeed, enriched her life, developing a close family relationship for the rest of her life.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Mariana was a life-long and very active PEO (an international Philanthropic Educational Organization whose projects involved providing funds to deserving women to help them attain educational degrees or certificates beyond high school.)

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: The Dodson-Newton Continuing Education Fund, sent to The Development office, UNC-Greensboro, 821 S. Josephine Boyd St., Greensboro, NC 27403; or made to The PEO Foundation, and sent to: PEO International, 3700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50312, with “NC/AL Mariana Newton Scholarship” written on the memo line; and or to Cottey College, 1000 W Austin Blvd, Nevada, MO 64772.

Online condolences may be made through www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.