Robert Paul Newton (Bob) was born in Hartville, Missouri on September 26, 1933. In the afternoon on September 22, 2024, Bob passed away at home in Clovis, CA at the age of 90. Bob grew up in Bakersfield, and played basketball, football, and baseball at Bakersfield High School.  At the age of 16 he played semi-pro baseball for a summer in Canada and went on to play at Bakersfield College where he met many lifelong friends. Bob was then drafted and served in the Korean War where he trained in radio communications and played on the US baseball team.

When he returned, he married Johneene, who he had met and began dating during his first year of college. They briefly lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, then Jamestown, New York early in their marriage while Bob played minor league baseball, and then finally settled in Clovis in 1956. Bob graduated from Fresno State with a Master's Degree in Education / School Counseling and began his career as a math teacher and coach at Caruthers High School before moving over to Clovis Unified School District for the next 31 years, finishing his career as a counselor. A celebrated coach, Bob made Valley headlines when his Boys' Varsity Basketball Team won Clovis Unified School District its first North Yosemite League Championship in 1968. For this feat Bob, was later voted into the Clovis Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

Bob and Johneene loved traveling during the summers with their two children, and then in retirement they pulled their fifth wheel cross-county visiting 47 of the 50 states. Bob loved riding his bike in the foothills of Prather, playing tennis with friends, and later in life attending all their grandchildren's many athletic events.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife Johneene, who passed away at 79 after they spent 59 years of marriage together.  He is survived by his son Mike Newton (and daughter-in-law, Kim); and daughter Lissa Vasquez and (son-in-law, Gilbert); his grandchildren Chris Vasquez, Casey Linnenkohl, Davis Newton, and Austin Newton; his great grandchildren Ava Vasquez, McKenzie Linnenkohl, Aria Vasquez, and Deklyn Linnenkohl.

A Celebration of Bob's Life will be held at the Clovis Veteran's Memorial Building (room Independence B) - 808 4th St in Clovis on Friday, Oct. 18th, 2024, for an informal come and go gathering between the hours of 2-5pm.  In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to our local American Legion Post 147 at clovisal.org