Birth date: Feb 7, 1926 Death date: Jun 11, 2017
John Michael Newell, 91, passed away Sunday, June 11, 2017 in Gainesville. He was born February 7, 1926 in Concord, New Hampshire to William P. and Esther Langley Newell. He received his undergraduate degree at Yale and his PhD at Read Obituary
The Newell family played a large role in my conversion to Catholicism as an adult even though their witness of Christ occurred in my early childhood. May Dr. and Mrs. Newell rest in the peace of Christ. Helen Boykin Schultz their cross the street neighbor.
I was extremely fortunate to not only work with Dr. Newell from the time he joined the Academic Advising Center at UF as a Preview advisor but to call him a good friend and an inspiration. It was a sad day when he finally decided to hang up the butterfly hat that we had all came to recognize and move on to enjoying his butterfly garden, his family and the other things he deserved to enjoy. But he left a legacy after helping countless students, parents and advisors over the years. Whether it was talking with Dr. Newell in my office or in the aisle at Publix, his wisdom, wit and zeal for life was contagious and will never be forgotten. He share so much with so many. Lou Powers
I first encountered John when he was an Associate Dean in the College of Education, and I liked him from the start. It never occurred to me that we would work closely together for nearly 15 years in academic advising. He shepherded me through my first experience with Preview (freshman orientation at UF) and then became a co-worker in the Academic Advising Center (AAC) when I started there in 1998. John was just a wonderful person, a great teacher, a devoted husband and father, and a real gentle man. Everyone in the AAC had an "in loco parentis" when John was there. His generosity of spirit (and with food) was contagious. We all loved John, and I think he loved us back just as much. We had a tight little ship, and John, being a Navy man, was like the guy who would troubleshoot the engine room and then emerge on deck to tell you in no uncertain terms exactly what was going on. He worked hard for years for a token salary with us and for us in his "retirement," and many students benefited from his tough-love and always accurate advice. Like Dan Kelly before him, another great UF icon is gone. We all owe so much to him and his generation.
I spent many hours with John working as a Preview "troubleshooter" for systems support back in the late 90's and to this day whenever I think of Preview - which I am still involved with - I cannot help but smile and think of him. We had quite a few laughs and I will never forget him.
My condolences to his family. He will be missed by many.
Dan Hodges
I enjoyed quite a few years working with John when I was one of the Preview advisors at the University of Florida. He was a huge help to me and the other advisors because of his thorough knowledge of the workings of Preview; he served as the "troubleshooter" with the responsibility (among others) of unravelling the really knotty problems that came up from time to time with getting incoming UF first-year students' schedules lined up. I can't even guess how many students he helped get off to a good start at the university, but I'm sure it was enormous. I recall that there were a few times that he, like the rest of us, had to give some advice that wasn't what the student wanted to hear; he could be stern if it was called for -- if the matter was important -- but as far as I know he was never disrespectful to a student, just concerned for the student's welfare. I always admired his firm but sure touch.
As the photograph suggests he had a pleasant personality, and I enjoyed his company very much. During the fall and spring terms I would drop by the Advising Center from time to time, and on such occasions I would stop by his office for a chat if he was in and not busy. It was a pleasure to hear some of his stories about his career and experiences.
Sadly, over the years I stopped being involved with Preview and seldom came by Advising; eventually I lost touch with John completely. I was sorry to come across this notice, which brought back some happy memories. My heartfelt condolences to the whole family.
-- Haywood Smith, Jr.
