Theodore Ellis Newman
March 29, 1942 — September 11, 2023
Bliss, New York
Theodore Ellis Newman
He was born at home in Hamburg, NY on March 29, 1942, the son of late Albert and Ethel (Nagel) Newman.
Ted was a very hard worker, impossible to keep up with at times. He loved hunting and fishing. If there was a type of fish he wanted to catch, he would study, observe, and ultimately figure out how to catch them better than most. Many times, he was the only one catching fish, much to the dismay of those fishing with him. He was a “fish whisperer”. He hunted with the same diligence and his family was raised on fresh meat, fish, and vegetables. Ted always had a beautiful vegetable garden. Weeds were his enemy; they were NOT allowed in his garden. He learned how to properly maintain vegetables in his younger years (12-17) while working at a large farm in Eden, NY.
Ted joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. He was stationed in Bermuda and Maine maintaining fire trucks used to extinguish aircraft fires. After an honorable discharge, Ted worked at Westinghouse in Buffalo, NY as a tool and dye machinist for 15 years. While working at Westinghouse he met his future wife Judy, and their life together began.
During the closure of Westinghouse, he was laid off and started a job at the Letchworth School, Gainesville, NY where he repaired and maintained school buses for 20 years. He also purchased Mack’s Boat Livery on Silver Lake, NY in 1995 while still working at Letchworth School. He was working seven days a week from sunup to sundown. Ted retired from Letchworth School in 1998 and continued to own and run Mack’s Boat Livery until 2005. He really loved owning running the boat livery, but it was time to travel.
In 2005 he sold the boat livery, bought a motorhome, and Ted and Judy started to travel the US. They traveled to Alaska in the motorhome six times where Ted enjoyed fishing for salmon, halibut, and lingcod. They also traveled the northeast to Maine, southwest to Arizona, along with many other trips including driving to Fort Pierce, FL to spend the winter. Their son, Mark, went with them to Alaska in the summer of 2012, and their daughter, Dawn, was able to fly up to travel with them for two weeks. That’s when his daughter fell in love with Alaska also. In October of 2020 a house was purchased in Kenai, AK which provided a “landing” place with great fishing. Summer of 2021 Ted, Judy, and Scott drove the motorhome and a truck with a boat in tow up to the house in Alaska. Ted loved the house and location.
In October of 2023, Ted broke his neck and brainstem when he hit his head on a partially closed garage door at his home in Bliss. Being the resilient man that he was, Ted went along his daily chores for three days before deciding his neck hurt enough to go to the hospital, where they basically “freaked” out put a collar around his neck and rushed him to ECMC in Buffalo, NY, where he underwent extensive surgery which went well, and he was back home in three days. Then in June 2023 Ted was diagnosed with myeloma lymphoma but it was slow moving and treatable. The physicians at Roswell Park Cancer Institute said considering his good health he had 7-10 years to live a good life yet. Ted and his daughter, Dawn, had a trip to Alaska planned for the second half of the summer. The physicians OK’d him go. Two days before they left, a new water well was drilled at his home in Bliss, NY by a drilling company. Ted must have contracted Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in the aerosolized water from the drilling that was carrying Legionella bacteria. After arriving in Alaska Ted became very ill and was diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease, a very deadly pneumonia that moves quickly. He was airlifted to the hospital in Anchorage and admitted to the critical ICU unit where he continued to fight the disease and its complications for six and a half weeks. He lost the fight on September 11th. Over the years, Ted beat multiple injuries and hardships, it was hard to believe something so unlikely could have taken him from us. Ted was a good man who was known for his integrity and love of family. He will be greatly missed by many.
Surviving in addition to his beloved wife of 56 years, Judy S. Newman are their children, Dawn (Scott) Newman-Cobin and Mark (Heather) Newman; Ted’s siblings Eleanor Rutkowski, Irma Nowacki, Dale (Carol) Newman, and Elizabeth (Tom) Wannop. Ted is also survived by two granddaughters; Jupiter Newman and Elara Newman; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Ted was predeceased by siblings Robert Newman Sr, Karl Newman, Carol Evans and brothers-in-law Dan Nowacki, Ray Rutkowski and Don Evans.
A private service and Celebration of Life will be held for family and friends at a later date.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Bliss Fire Company, 6655 Route 362, Bliss, NY 14024.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Theodore Ellis Newman, please visit our flower store.
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