Mr. THOMAS RAYMOND NEWTON

FORT WORTH -- Thomas Raymond Newton passed away Wednesday morning, April 16, 2014. Mr. Newton was 67 years old. Memorial service: 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, 2700 McPherson Ave. The Rev. Dr. Frederick Field "Fritz" Ritsch III, pastor of the church, and Mr. Mark Scott, organist and choir director, will officiate. Tom will be laid to rest privately in Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: Family and friends will gather from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in the Great Room at Robertson Mueller Harper. Honorary bearers will be Sam Gann, Clyde Hargrove, Charles Harrington, Dick LeBlanc, Baker Montgomery, Sam Moore, David Motheral, Tommy Pigg, Don Rea, Don Small, Jake Weatherford and Scott Yankee. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to First Tee of Fort Worth, P.O. Box 4767, Fort Worth, Texas 76164; the Roof Fund at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, 2700 McPherson Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76109; or to Trinity Valley School Building Campaign, 7500 Dutch Branch Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76132, in his memory, is suggested. Born in Fort Worth on Feb. 25, 1947, Tom was the son of Dennis Raymond and Fay Iris Gill Newton. He lived in Fort Worth his entire life and was proud of his city and enjoyed sharing his childhood memories of baseball and his neighborhood with family and friends. Tom graduated from R.L. Paschal High School in 1965 where he was president of POSSE, a school social club at the time. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received a degree in marketing in 1969. While at UT, he was social chairman of Phi Gamma Delta, planning many fun parties, including one where he and some friends dressed as the Beatles in Sgt. Pepper uniforms. Tom married his college sweetheart, Sharon Katherine Sanders, on July 26, 1969; the couple returned to Fort Worth where they made their home for the next 45 years. Known for his skills at the barbecue pit, Tom loved to cook ribs for family and friends. He was famous for his smoked turkeys and looked forward to going to the Houston Rodeo for the barbecue cook-off. He was passionate about fishing and always had a good "fish story" to tell and enjoyed listening to music, from the blues and Beatles to Gershwin. His children were the light of his life, whom he would brag on to any who would listen. He loved watching his kids play sports and was their No.1 fan! His grandchildren lovingly called him "Daddy T." He loved dancing with granddaughter, Reagan, and enjoyed watching her dance competitions, as well as making funny noises and faces while bouncing the other two grandchildren, Sarah and Travis, on his knee. "Uncle Tom" always found a way to make his nieces and nephews laugh at the Thanksgiving ranch trips. He was known for his kind heart, sentimental nature, fun-loving ways and loyalty to his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, David Raymond Newton, who died in 2011; and his mother-in-law, Alice May Sanders. Survivors: In addition to his wife, Kay, Tom is survived by his daughter and her husband, Natalie and Jeremy Sims; grandchildren, Reagan Newton and her mother, Dawn, and Saran and Travis Sims; aunt, Joyce Robinson; father-in-law, Joe G. Sanders; and several nieces, nephews and cousins and their families. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. THOMAS RAYMOND NEWTON please visit our Sympathy Store.