Mr. William Stanley "Stan" Newton III Obituary (1979 - 2018)

William Stanley "Stan" Newton III, 39, of Russellville, died tragically Sunday, June 17, 2018, at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock, surrounded by loving family and friends. The son of Bill and Marlene Newton, he was born May 16, 1979 in Russellville. He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Stanley and Mary Newton, and his maternal grandparents, Clivie and Hester Coffman. He is survived by his parents, Bill and Marlene; his sister Christy Newton (Jeanne Loveless) of Oakland, California; his sister Amy Newton (Seth Coffelt) of Glasgow, Scotland; and his brother Abel Newton (Sara Taylor) of Russellville. He is also survived by four adoring nieces and nephews who knew him as Uncle Stanta: Nora Coffelt, Clivie Loveless Newton, Silas Coffelt, and Eden Coffelt. Stan was the light of every room he walked into. Lively and outgoing, he was a kind and generous friend to everyone he meta"young or old, educated or not, black or white, gay or straight, rich or poora"and everywhere in between. Stan's love for people knew no bounds. A fierce all-around athlete and strong competitor, Stan especially excelled on the baseball diamond. While at Russellville High School, he was chosen for the 1996 AAAA West All-Conference Team and garnered the Outstanding Pitcher Award in 1997. This was a particularly great accomplishment since four players in his class on the RHS baseball team, including Stan, were drafted into professional baseball. After high school, Stan played baseball for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. He led the Horned Frogs in Saves in 2000, and in 2001, he was a first-team, all-WAC (Western Athletic Conference) pitcher for the Horned Frogs. He also led TCU in ERA and Saves that same year. These accomplishments earned him the team's Most Outstanding Pitcher Award. At the end of his career at TCU, he had set the record for the most career appearances by a pitcher. In 2001, he was drafted by the Yankees and pitched for the Gulf Coast Yankees. While there, his team won the Gulf Coast League Championship. In recent years, when he was not welcoming people as founding manager at the Old Bank Sports Grill, Stan was a talented bowler, enthusiastic golfer, and avid gardener and landscaper who planted tens of thousands of bulbs and designed an outdoor sanctuary where he entertained friends. Despite the sometimes turbulent challenges he faced on life's road, Stan approached the world with a gentle and caring spirit and lots of humor and wit. He is already terribly missed. His friends who will miss him exceed the number of flowers he planted. Visitation will take place at Humphrey Funeral Home on Friday, June 22, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The Memorial Service to celebrate Stan's life will be held on Saturday, June 23, at 2:00 p.m., at the United Methodist Church in Russellville, and will be officiated by Rev. Thom Walker and Rev. Dr. Christy Newton. Following the service, committal will be held at Rest Haven Memorial Park and officiated by Rev. Jeanne Loveless. Pall Bearers include Chip Blanchard, Patrick Vest, John-Paul Davis, Jimmy Streett, Jay Peters, Craig McCarthy, Chad Durham, and Chad Vance. Honorary Pall Bearers include the coaches and players of the RHS class of 1997 Baseball Team; Stan's coaches and teammates at TCU; employees of Newton's Pharmacy; and employees of the Old Bank Sports Grill. Memorial gifts in Stan's honor may be made to First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 103 South Boston Ave., Russellville, AR 72801 or the Stan Newton Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is being established to recognize outstanding baseball player/scholars at Russellville High School and which will be administered by the Russellville Community Scholarship Program, 2203 South Knoxville Ave., Russellville, AR 72802.