Thomas Ashby Newby, Jr. died at his home, surrounded by family on September 17, 2020 after a prolonged battle with a rare form of neuropathy. He was born on November 17, 1943 in Lynchburg, Virginia while his father was serving in the Army in Europe during World War II. He was the eldest child of the late Margaret Estelle Ripley and the late Thomas Ashby Newby.
Tom is survived by his wife of 48 years, Charlotte Henshaw Newby, daughters, Ellen Ashby Newby and Alyson Henshaw Newby and sons-in-law, Joshua Michael Busch and Kenneth Robert Kingery, respectively. He is survived by his brother, Steven Kent Newby and predeceased by his sister Judi Newby Kerr.
Tom grew up in Bon Air, a suburb of Richmond, VA. He was in the first graduating class of Huguenot High School where he served as student government president, played center on the basketball team and served as its co-captain.
Tom received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1966 and was president of The Association of Independent Houses. He received an MBA from The University of Virginia in 1968. He served in the US Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974 and completed his active training at Ft. Dix in New Jersey.
Tom worked at Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati and at Kimberly-Clark in Wisconsin and in the UK in consumer package goods, marketing and general management. As a sector president, he was responsible for a wide range of national and international brands like Ivory Liquid, Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, Folgers Coffee, Huggies Diapers and Kotex Feminine Care Products.
Tom and his family lived near London for five years and enjoyed the cuisine and culture of England as well as many other European countries. In 1996 he moved his family to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he became part of the Triangle “angel” investment community.
Tom’s major interests included Duke Athletics, contemporary art and European travel. He was a member of The Heritage Society to support the future of his alma mater and a life member of The Iron Dukes to provide scholarships for student-athletes. As an avid art collector, many of his works were shown in museums in the US, Canada and Europe; he also donated pieces of art to the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke. He served on the Board of Directors of the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in Wisconsin and both the foundation board and the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Museum of Art.
The family will have a private service -Witness to the Resurrection-at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Interment will be in the church’s Memorial Garden.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC 27608, Transitions Life Care, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607 or to The Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 420 Anderson Street, Durham, NC 27708.
Arrangements by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh.
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