John "Jack" Newbury

John W. Newbury, known to friends and family as Jack or Papa Jack, died on July 12, 2024 at his home in Scott, Arkansas. He was born May 15, 1934 in Cairo, Illinois, to Willard (Bill) and Della Newbury (née Kreitner). He is preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Amelia. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Linda of Scott, Arkansas; two sisters, Judy Moody and Mary Nelson, of Georgia; five children, Maria Hrdina (Lubõs) of Hot Springs; David Anthony Newbury of Moline, Illinois; Martha (Marty) Riddell (Darryl) of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Daniel Newbury (Kana) of Hanamaki City, Japan; and step-daughter, Amy Holland Nix (MGySgt. Ashley) of Okinawa, Japan; 12 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandson. And he was blessed with many nieces and nephews and close friends, who will also mourn his loss.

A 1952 graduate of Monmouth High School, in Illinois, Jack joined the army as a part of the 11th Airborne division. He accomplished 42 jumps and became a pathfinder. After his service in the army, he received both a bachelors and masters degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

An adventurer through and through, Jack enjoyed recreational, salvage, and cenote scuba diving, fishing, hunting, cooking, world travel, marksmanship, archery, underwater archaeology, studying historically correct accounts from the War between the States, building, homesteading, Jimmy Buffet, and holding court with intimate friends and family while sipping fine Scotch and puffing on exquisite cigars.

He parlayed his accomplishments into short stories of both fiction and non-fiction published in magazines such as Mexican Life and Skin Diver. He spent 8 months in Mexico on a research team for Tulane University and National Geographic, where he dove cenotes, documenting and recovering Mayan artifacts in the Yucatan. His work for the University of Mexico contributed to a chapter in a text on Mayan artifacts.

He focused his talents toward giving back to the community, also, developing dynamic programs for the Area Agency on Aging in Arkansas, tripling the funding for a Community Action Authority in South Central Arkansas, and developing a reading improvement program for adults at an industrial facility in St. Louis, Missouri. He volunteered at youth hunting sponsorship, and served as a city board member in Felsenthal, Arkansas where he and Linda called home for the past 20 years.

Jack was a devout Catholic. He was a beloved teacher and mentor at Queen of the Holy Rosary Academy in St. Louis, Missouri. With all the joie de vivre and gusto with which he lived his life, he was most proud of the students from that school who entered religious vocations after his having been a small part of their formation in Catholicism. One such person, Fr. Daniel Chavarria, will lead his family and friends in the Most Holy Rosary for the repose of his soul on Tuesday, July 16th at 5PM at Smith Funeral Home, 7700 AR-107, Sherwood, Arkansas 72120.

Fr. Chavarria will offer a requiem mass at Society of Saint Pius X chapel, Queen of the Miraculous Medal, 201 SW 3rd St. Bryant, Arkansas 72022, on Wednesday, July 17th at 10:30AM. He will be interred at 1PM that day at Arkansas Veterans’ Cemetery, 1501 W. Maryland Ave, North Little Rock, Arkansas.

“We have loved him during life, let us not forget him after death,” St. Ambrose. Please pray for the repose of Jack’s soul. Eternal Rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Requiescat In Pace.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his name to Queen of the Miraculous Medal, 201 SW 3rd St. Bryant, Arkansas 72022