Gene Julius Newman
March 7, 1923 - December 5, 2008
Obituary
Gene Julius Newman
Gene’s was a life well-lived, a thoughtful, understated man with a keen mind whose actions reflected his values. Gene was born March 7th, 1923 in Seattle, Washington, the son of Annie Hollenbeck Newman and Harry Newman. His childhood years were spent in West Seattle and later in Lynden, Washington where he graduated from Lynden High School in 1941.
Gene served with valor in World War II and was awarded the Bronze Stars as an original member of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division 86th Infantry Regiment created as a force to engage in mountain warfare. He was part of the Allied campaign deployed to Italy in January 1945 to break the formidable German defense lines in the northern Italian Alps. Gene and his regiment first captured Riva Ridge, scaling 1, 500 vertical feet during the night of February 18, 1945. Over the next three and a half months, suffering unfathomable casualties and witnessing horrific atrocities, the 10th captured adjacent peaks and entered the Po Valley, finally achieving victory with the German Army’s surrender in Italy in May 1945. Gene’s 10th Mountain experience was an integral part of his life, forever affecting how he viewed life and how he lived it. He remained active in the Mount Rainier Chapter of the 10th Mountain Division veterans, attending not only annual branch reunions at Mount Rainier Chapter, but also their national reunions.
Gene’s career as an electrical engineer spanned nearly 60 years. He designed and built cranes and various electrical installations, on site, locally and world wide. Gene especially enjoyed talking shop with his brother Harry. Gene traveled the United States and the world overseeing ‘his’ power plants and envisioning the progress that electric power would bring to the communities where they were installed. Gene had a particular fondness for Deep Springs College, California and its values of self-governance, labor, and academics as preparation for a life of service to humanity. He built and maintained the hydro power plant that has supplied part of the electrical needs for the College since 1989 and enjoyed his yearly road trips to Deep Springs to check on ‘his’ power plant.
He thoroughly enjoyed traveling with his wife Justine and sharing meals with friends and family. He was always planning his next adventure. There were few pastimes Gene enjoyed more than hiking, snowshoeing and boating in the Northwest, especially at Lake Chelan and Mount Rainier. He loved to walk his forested retreat at Winlock and treasured sharing time there with his family and friends.
Gene is survived by his wife Justine Richards and son Steven Newman; brother Harry Joy, nephew Alec Margot, nieces Carolyn Newman and Annette Newman, numerous great nieces and nephews, and a host of friends. Gene was preceded in death by his first wife of 49 years, Jean Newman, and son Michael G. Newman. In lieu of flowers, remembrances are suggested to the Parkinson Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018. Services will be held at Judson Park Retirement Community on January 4th at 2:30 pm.
