Albert Sidney “Bert” Newton, 78, a native of Beaufort, S.C., and a resident of Spanish Fort, died Friday, Nov. 21, 2008.
He was born at the home of his grandparents in Beaufort, S.C. He grew up in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C
He graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem, N.C. and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1953. He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va., in 1956. He was ordained as a deacon in 1956 and ordained as a priest in December of 1956.
He served three churches in Mooresville, Davidson, and Iredell County, N.C., from 1956-1958. He served as an assistant rector of Christ Church, Raleigh, N.C., 1958-1960. He was rector of Calvary Church, Wadesboro, and All Souls' Church, Ansonville, N.C., 1960-1967. He was rector of All Saints Church, Montgomery from 1968-1995.
He was instrumental in organizing the Ecumenical Association of East Montgomery Churches, which has continued for more than 20 years. He was a Fellow of College of Preachers, Washington, D.C., and a Fellow of St Luke’s School of Theology, Sewanee, Tenn.
He published writings of prose and verse, and was priest associate at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Daphne, from 2001.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Henry Newton and Anna Cory Newton, his wife, Jean Brimley Newton, sister, Ann Vernon Newton Grogan, and close friend Dorthea “Mike” Jackson.
Survivors include three daughters, Christy Newton Sparkman of Atlanta, Mary Newton Syfrett, of Panama City, Fla., Catherine Brimley Newton of Spanish Fort; son, John Brimley Newton, of Orange Park, Fla., two brothers, William H. Newton of Wilmington, N.C., and Robert A. Newton of Columbus, Ga.; grandchildren, Leigh Riccio and Michael Riccio, both of Atlanta, Adam Syfrett, Anne Syfrett and Stephen Syfrett, all of Panama City, Fla., Brimley Newton and Cory Newton of Orange Park, Fla.; and close friend Joy Newlin of Spanish Fort.
A memorial service and visitation was held Tuesday, Nov. 25 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Daphne.
The family requests memorial donations be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Building Fund, Daphne.
Arrangements were made by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Daphne.
