Joseph Edwin Newman

Joseph Edwin Newman, 70, passed away on March 9, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. Joe was born on May 9, 1955, at Stevens Clinic in Welch, West Virginia, which was near his home in Elkhorn, West Virginia. He was the beloved youngest son of Ernest D. Newman and Virginia Blanche Newman, and he was named after Joseph, one of the prominent characters in the book of Genesis.

Joe and his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia in October 1962 and he remained in Virginia until September 2009. During his early years Joe liked to hang out with his brothers and play outside. When he could not be outside, he liked to play games in the house or work on puzzles. His favorite toys were his cap gun and later, his BB gun. He often had a pet dog or cat, and he had some wonderful stories about his dog, Spark, his dog Tree, and cat, Peanut. While hunting, his dad found a puppy alive in a tree trunk and named him Tree.

In high school, Joe was very active and loved to play sports - including baseball, basketball, and football. He also liked to play pool and ping pong and write songs/poetry. In his seventh-grade music class, Joe wrote the lyrics and music (for piano) for a song called “Gold Rush” which he was so proud of. He liked school, particularly math and chemistry (although he said chemistry did not like him). He made friends easily and elected to combine his junior and senior year so that he could graduate with his friends in 1972. He is still in touch with his long-time friends Billy Donovan, Glenn Simon, and Randy Simon.

Joe was bright, inquisitive, liked to solve problems, and was so handy around the house. He could fix just about anything, which is a tribute to his dad for teaching him valuable skills. He attended Northern Virginia Community College and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Hamilton University. He taught himself printed circuit board design early in his career and later was self-trained as a Project Management Professional and concluded his career as a PMP at Walmart in the Information Technology Department.

Joe had a wonderful sense of humor. He was compassionate and a defender of the weak and defenseless. He had a grateful soul and a heart of gold.

We liked to call Joe a leak whisperer because he could fix leaks easily. When we moved into our house in South Carolina, the garage flooded our first day there. Joe figured out where the water was coming from and fixed it with a fifty-cent part. Our neighbor said the previous owner had spent thousands trying to fix the water problem.

Joe is survived by his wife Debbie Newman, his brothers Jerry Newman and Bruce Newman, his sister Lorene Shaw, his brothers-in-law John Shaw, David Butler, Douglas Butler, John Koch, his sisters-in-law Sharon Newman, Cathleen Newman, Judy Newman, Sharon Grazioso, Betcei Butler, Sharon Koch, and Amy Butler.

He was preceded in death by his parents Ernest D. Newman, Virginia Blanch Newman, his brother David O. Newman, and brother-in-law Bruce E. Butler.

Dearest Joe, we will love and miss you forever.