It is with a very heavy heart and a deep sense of personal loss that I must share with you the passing of our beloved friend Ron Newell.
We shall eulogize and speak long and fervently – for this was truly a remarkable man. We shall tell and hear countless stories – for he was a character. And we will cry. And laugh.
There will be time.
But for now, let each of us take this moment, in quiet, to reflect on the beauty of this unique and amazing and giving human.
Ron had recently completed a radiation regimen for prostate cancer, undergone the removal of an abdominal mass, and learned of the return of the lymphoma that he had previously fought off since 1994. But he clearly recognized his humanity and its inherent mortality.
He had called for his friend, Rev. Lou Will, who reported that he had left Ron feeling peaceful, resolved, and ready to face what Ron expected to be his next Act.
Ron had been visited today by a few close friends. And was surrounded by the love of his beloved Mimi, his adopted family, and his forever set construction partner Charlie Moran. He took his last bow at 9:15 PM, November 7, 2025.
Mimi has asked the Playhouse, to which he had devoted so much, to host a "light and lively" gathering in his honor. As mixed as the emotions will be, as somber as the event will sound, still – where he is he will no doubt hear the thunder of the standing ovation at the end.
You know that the playbill for his final production at Clague Playhouse included his oft-spoken:
When asked about the future Ron replied, “When it gets here, I’ll deal with it!”
He did. With class. And now, I am convinced he fully expects that we will all do the same. “Deal with it.” Somehow.
For we will – somehow – remember that, at the end of each set construction day, he would say “We’re in good shape.”
Let us be.
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