Dr. Newton Smith memorialized

I  attended the memorial service of Dr. Newton Smith, the last person who looked like he would have Ph.D. behind his name, the man who was once a professor at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. The service was at St. David's Episcopal Church, and although we were not late after driving nearly two hours, the church was completely filled. We were told we could sit in the Parish Hall and watch on a TV screen. A fellow writer and member of NCWN-West, Carroll Taylor, author,  accompanied me. The hall was filled and we had some difficulty finding two seats together. Although I knew Newt and had met June, his wife of over fifty years, I did not know his children and grandchildren who took part in the service.

Dr. Newton Smith 1939 - 2018

Newt had a son, Zack,  and Courtney, a daughter, who gave the perfect eulogy for her father. She helped me see the older man I knew as a young father, playing with his baby girl, kissing her toes and smiling down at her. She told us that she knew she was the most special to him, but later she admitted he made everyone feel that way. His grandchildren read poems and Newt's own poems graced the front and back of the bulletin for the service. Newt was a person who had many talents and many interests. It seems to me that he lived life according to his own wishes and needs. He had beside him a lovely and talented helpmate in his wife, June.

Among the many people attending were faculty and students from Western who had their memories of the smiling man I saw on the screen. One young man, an engineer, said Newt was a mentor for him when he was a freshman in college.

Newt's  family was grieving, shedding tears as they heard the words said about this man who was so dear to them. As Newt would have wanted there was also plenty of laughter in the stories of life shared with him by his sister and his daughter.

He became treasurer for NCWN-West in 2009 when he was asked by Kathryn Stripling Byer, who was then program coordinator. Although we had several program coordinators over the past decade, Newt continued to take care of our money, pay our bills and report to NC Writers' Network each month. When he became ill from cancer a few years ago, I asked if he would like me to find someone to take over as treasurer, but he said no. "I like having something to do," he told me.

We held a one day writing conference in 2016 in Sylva, NC. Newt handled all the registrations and  fees paid. I was deeply appreciative of this because I had all I could handle already.

When, a few months later, Kathryn Byer passed away, Newt volunteered to help me again by emceeing the tribute program NCWN-West gave for her. It seemed he could handle whatever was on his plate and he did it with panache.

I am grateful that I knew Dr. Newton Smith and that he was a member of NCWN-West. We all will miss him and never forget him.