John Robert Newman

John Robert Newman was born May 13, 1930, to Agnes May Martin Newman and William Claudius Newman in Dora, New Mexico. He was the youngest of 5 children. John had always wanted to live in Colorado, when John graduated from Portales High School, he made the move to Pueblo, Colorado. It was shortly after this move that he proposed to and married his wife, Opal Marie Brown, on September 17, 1949. John spent his career working for Colorado Interstate Gas (CIG). This led to the family living in various locations in Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, and Colorado. John retired from CIG as a Regional Superintendent, after 46 years. Upon retiring, John and Opal traveled to all 50 states with their truck and their 5th wheel camper. John and Opal have a wonderful love story. They were married for 72 years and cultivated a large, loving family with whom they shared their love. John also had a wonderful relationship with God and spent his life serving God. An interim pastor, choir director, and Sunday school teacher are just a few of the ways that he shared his relationship with God. John was pragmatic with the choices he made in his life. When John was 17 years old, he took flying lessons and was saddened to find out he was too young to get his license. He never gave up on his dream, and when he was in his forties, he obtained his pilot’s license and even purchased an airplane. He and Opal traveled the skies, making many stops to visit family along the way. In addition to his love of flying, John loved the game of golf. He spent many days playing the links. It would be insurmountable to tally the number of holes he played over the course of his life. He was able to share his love of the game with his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, oftentimes being their first golf instructor. John was able to play golf 3 times a week for many years, including over the past year of his life. John Robert Newman went to heaven on January 7, 2022, at the age of 91, with his family by his side. He will be forever remembered and greatly missed by all who loved him. John is survived by his wife, Opal Marie Newman; his three daughters, Cindy Schutte, Liz (Clarine to him) Woods, Milana (Randy) Root; his 9 grandchildren, Raquelle (Ken) Frenchman, Mindi (Brian) Sturm, Patricio (Kirise) Manzanares, Mandi (Jared) Barnes, Jeanenne (Jeff) Wagner, Josh (Lauren) Root, Zach Root, and Brittany Root. John was also blessed with 21 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. John is preceded in death by, his mom and dad; two brothers, Grover and Bill; two sisters, Alma and Idamaye, and his two son-in-laws; Marvin Schutte and Doug Woods. In lieu of flowers, contributions will be collected by Holt Funeral home to be used to support a few of his favorite charities: Boys Ranch in Amarillo Texas, Salvation Army, Sangre de Cristo Hospice, and a Memorial to be set up at Four Mile Ranch Golf Club.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Robert Newman, please visit our floral store.