Kathleen Newman

It is with great sadness and hearts full of loving gratitude that we share that our beloved, kind, hilarious, generous mama, grandma, sister, and friend, Kathleen (Kathy) Newman, passed away peacefully at home on July 25th, 2023, at age 71 after a brief, intense battle with cancer.

Kathy was born on October 8th, 1951, to Vernon Clifford Newman and Kathryn Simpson Newman at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Vallejo, CA. She was a lifelong Napa resident, growing up in Alta Heights and graduating from Napa High School in 1970. She attended Napa Valley College, Ricks College in Rexburg, ID, and Brigham Young University in Provo, UT.

Kathy believed that we are placed on earth to serve others, and at the age of 21, she served two years on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Bristol, England.

After her mission, Kathy married Richard Lee Conder and settled in Provo, UT, where she gave birth to her two adoring children, Kathryn (Katie) Conder Rincon and Richard (Rich) Lee Conder II.

In 1983, she relocated back to her hometown of Napa, CA, to raise her children as a strong, resilient, independent, single mother surrounded by a loving community of friends and family.

In 1988, Kathy began working for a non-profit organization that provides services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Throughout her 30-year career at North Bay Regional Center, Kathy made lifelong friendships and served countless underprivileged members of the community.

Perhaps Kathy's most significant role was as an incredible mother and grandmother. Living by example, she instilled in us a fierce independence and determination that has been the difference maker in our lives. She taught us how to think, not what to think. To treat others as we would want to be treated, smile in the face of adversity, and always believe in the people we are. She kept us laughing and honest and taught us to be loving, kind, considerate, and respectful. Every decision she made was to make sure ours were better for it. She was both mom and dad. She was our biggest cheerleader, confident support system, and best friend. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for who she was and how well she loved us.

Kathy is survived by her daughter Kathryn (Katie) Conder Rincon and son Richard (Rich) Lee Conder II, beloved son-in-law Alex Rincon and loving daughter-in-law Marisa Conder, adoring grandchildren Joshua Conder, Hannah Conder, Ellianna Conder, and Grayson Conder, brothers David Penn Newman and Paul Brent Newman, niece Emily Dalton Newman and nephews Paul Newman, Jr. and Joseph Newman as well as an extensive community of dear friends and extended family that spanned the globe.

Please join us in celebrating Kathy's life with a graveside service on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023, at 11 am at Tulocay Cemetery, 411 Coombsville Road, Napa, CA.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Kathleen Newman, please visit our floral store.