Kathleen R. Newton

Kathleen Grace Rindge Newton, born March 5, 1942 in Cortland, to Kenneth Fraser and Adda Travis Rindge died peacefully at home after an extended illness on June 16, 2017.

Kathleen transferred to Homer schools in the 8th grade, where she met her future husband, John Cline Newton, after moving to the home her father built on John St. in Homer.

A 1960 Homer High School honors graduate, she then attended the Auburn Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and married John on June 8, 1963 in the Homer Congregational Church. She made her career in nursing, initially employed in the newborn nursery at Cortland Memorial Hospital, followed by Cortland pediatrician, Dr. Frank Coughlin.  Some of her most meaningful time was spent as a full-time wife and mother, a job she excelled at, serving as a role model to her family and countless others in the community. After her daughters were older she began occasional part-time work, including as a loving and patient caregiver for several families in Homer before returning to her nursing career full-time, first at OBGYN Associates of Ithaca, then at Dr. Catherine Husa’s practice, Cayuga Women’s Health, until retiring in 2004.  In retirement, Kathleen and John spent their winters in Largo, FL where they developed many close friendships and were active in their community; summers were spent at their Skaneateles Lake cottage.  In Spring, 2016 they returned to Homer, purchasing their Burgett Drive home to be near their children and grandchildren year-round.

For many years Kathleen was an active member of the Homer Congregational Church, serving on the Women’s Fellowship, the Board of Deacons, and as a Sunday school teacher, where she cultivated many warm relationships with the youth of the church community. Always putting meticulous effort, kindness and care into any task at hand, she shone brightly at both career and community activities. But as an active participant in her husband, children, and grandchildren’s lives, supporting their many endeavors, and as a friend with great warmth and generosity of spirit was where her excellence and grace was most notable and appreciated, and how she is best remembered.

Kathleen is survived by her husband, John, daughters, Katherine Jeannette (Stephen) Clark, and Susan Grace (Frank) Williams, grandchildren Cassandra Michelle Mead, Garrett Cline Mead, and Abigail Katherine Williams, sister Diane Comfort, brother David (Beverly) Rindge, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to her parents she was predeceased by an infant daughter, Jennifer Marie Newton.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at the Homer Congregational Church. Family will receive friends in the Russell Fellowship Room immediately following the services.  A private committal will be held in Glenwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Franziska Racker Center, 3226 Wilkins Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850, Homer Congregational Church Memorial Fund, 28 S. Main St., Homer, NY 13077 or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.

 Service Information