Peter Winthrop Newman
Our Father was born in Paris, France to Winthrop Payson Newman and Dorothy Coyne Newman. After their war related activities (support of Allied Forces) concluded the family moved back to the US eventually settling in Santa Barbara. During his formative years Dad spent time in the rural areas and wildlands of the Santa Ynez Valley and Atascadero which planted the seed for his interest in farming and ranching. His cowboy vision was further stimulated by visits to Edward Borein’s cowboy art studio with a friend’s Mother. Dad’s other activities included lifeguarding at the Coral Casino Club, body surfing and hot-rodding. Dad attended Occidental College and was a member of the Kappa Sig Fraternity. After college Dad entered the Army and was ultimately stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. After the Army he began a career in commercial real estate with Buckbee Thorne (now Cushman & Wakefield) in San Francisco culminating in a leasing role on the then new Bank of America Building. During this time Dad met our Mother, Judy Ford Newman (recently deceased) at Sugar Bowl and they eventually married (1958) and had four children (Scott, Elizabeth, Lael and Kate). In 1962 our Parents purchased a ranch in the beautiful Knights Valley of Sonoma County. Most every weekend we would travel between SF and KV in the family station wagon loaded to the brim with people and pets. We were often joined by one or a number of other families for fun filled weekends of work and play including nights spent singing around the old player piano. Dad played the banjo…kind of. During this time both Mom and Dad earned their sailplane licenses at Calistoga Soaring Center and met many great people in the Sonoma County aviation community. Both Mom and Dad went on to earn their Private Pilot licenses and pursued many aviation adventures including numerous trips to Mexico and Santa Barbara. Highlights of Dad’s aviation pursuits include flying a Stearman biplane back to the US from El Salvador and years later when he built and flew his own homebuilt airplane. In 1970 Dad acted on his dream and with Mom’s encouragement they left city life to live in the country. For years he and his partner, John Brazil Jr. (of Healdsburg), ran cattle on owned and leased lands of Sonoma County and beyond. In 1982 Dad planted the first 40 acres of grapes. Dad was known as a fair-minded gentleman farmer. He valued relationships with the many friends, neighbors and business associates he knew through the stages of his life and was particularly fond of his association and many deep relationships earned through Rancheros Vistadores.
In the early 80’s our parents divorced and Dad spent over 37 years in a loving relationship with Pauline Kelly who survives him. Together they traveled, enjoyed life along the bayfront, spent time in Santa Barbara and enjoyed many good meals with a gin and tonic (don’t take his order before he has finished his drink!) and good wine. Polly will always remember Dad as a true, accomplished and loving, gentleman interested in everything and always game to try anything…new, zany and crazy as it might be.
Dad is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, five nieces and nephews as well as Pauline Kelly and her 5 children and 12 grandchildren all of whom he adored.
Dad was a hard working man of high integrity. He was wired to do it himself. He exhibited great empathy for the challenges of others but seemed to deny his own challenges a place in his busy life until finally mother nature had to send him a stronger signal (stroke/dementia) that it was time to surrender after he got every last bit of utility out of his 90 year old body and brain.
God speed dear Dad