Obituary of Stephen Howard Newberry

Stephen Howard Newberry, aged 60, passed away at his home in Ceres, Virginia, January 3, 2016. Stephen was a devoted father and avid outdoorsman. He lived life fully, on his terms, and enjoyed immensely the raising of his daughter, Lexie. They were always a team, having an incredible and joyful bond, whether on horseback, hunting together or other activities. Stephen was full of energy and made friends wherever he went. He prided himself on his decades of hunting successes, bagging numerous trophy-quality animals across North America. Stephen was a life-long member of the NRA and a firearms enthusiast, and enjoyed building an extensive collection of exotic weapons. He was an expert marksman and long-range shooter, winning numerous competitions across the mid-Atlantic region. He was also a lifelong motorcyclist and custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle collector, enjoying a 45 year love affair with the open highway and motorcycling lifestyle. Stephen was an animal lover, always with beloved dogs and horses around over the years. He was an accomplished horseman, having competed, hunted, and toured on horseback in the Southeastern US, High Plains, and Canada. Stephen had a very successful career, holding various leadership positions at Asea Brown Boveri’s power transmission factory in Bland, where he was employed for nearly 40 years. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bluefield College. He was also an accomplished athlete, having played as a starting forward on the Bland Rocket’s 1970-71 conference championship team and was awarded the Mt. Empire Conference Player of the Year in 1972. Stephen fielded offers from several Division I colleges to play basketball, settling on an opportunity to play for the Bluefield College Rams. Stephen was described by everyone that knew him as generous and loving, and certainly fun-loving. His friends were too many to list, but were far and wide and are certain to miss him in the community, at work, and everyday life. Stephen is survived by: his daughter Lexie Newberry and her mother, Cindy Justice Newberry, both of Bland, Virginia; a brother Mark Young Newberry, a nephew Zachary Tyler Newberry and a niece Greysen Nicole Newberry, all of Salem, Virginia; an aunt, Rachel Young and cousins Tommye Jo Hayes and Alisha Walker, all of Marion, Virginia; a cousin, Ginger Osborne and husband Billy of Wytheville, Virginia; a cousin, Ann Hayes of Charlottesville, Virginia; cousins Kellie Lee Schnabel and family, Santa Ana, California, and Tracie Lee Bunn and husband Jim of Atlanta, Georgia; and an uncle, Jack Young, of Knoxville, Tennessee. He is preceded in death by: parents, Frances Young Newberry and Henry Howard Newberry; an uncle, Warren Young; an aunt, Ola Clements; maternal grandparents June and Ethel Young; and paternal grandmother Lorrayne Curry. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a college fund established in Lexie Newberry’s name in care of Vicki Kitts, Branch Banking & Trust, 629 Main St, Bland, Virginia 24315 or to help with expenses, to Seaver Brown Funeral Service, PO Box 427, Marion VA 24354. In keeping with Stephen’s wishes, a short memorial service will be held at Bland United Methodist Church in Bland, Virginia on Friday, January 8th at 4:00pm, and all friends and family are invited to visit. The family are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from friends and the community and wish to express their thanks and gratitude. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family at www.seaverbrown.com. Seaver-Brown Funeral Service and Crematory is honored to serve the Newberry Family.