Initiated 03/04/1968
Passed 04/01/1968
Raised 05/20/1968
Laurens 548 01/16/2006
Died May 6, 2020
Edward S. Newsham, 85, of Oneonta, New York, passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital.
Ed was born on Sept. 13, 1934, in Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of the late Frederick and Susan (Harriger) Newsham.
He married June Mellor on Sept. 7, 1957, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Ed and June moved to Oneonta in 1965 when Ed accepted a position as a professor at SUNY Oneonta, teaching chemistry. He enriched and touched the lives of many students over the years until his retirement in 1997.
Ed was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Oneonta, where he served on various boards and committees.
Ed had a long and distinguished career in the Masonic fraternity. He became a Free and Accepted Mason in Oneonta Lodge No. 466 in 1968. He served the lodge as master in 1977 and was appointed district deputy of the Otsego Schoharie District in 1992.
He was also a member and served as the presiding officer in the following Masonic concordant bodies: Oneonta Chapter No. 277 Royal Arch Masons, Oneonta Council No. 87 Cryptic Masons, Otsego Commandery No. 76, United York Rite College No. 127 in Utica, Utica Conclave Red Cross of Constantine, Crusade Priory No. 57 Knights of the York Cross of Honor, Trinity Tabernacle XXIV Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, Glencarin Council No. 14 Knight Masons and Charles Smith Council No. 324 Allied Masonic Degrees.
He was also a member of the Marine Lodge in Falmouth, Massachusetts and the Martha Chapter No. 116 Order of the Eastern Star, where he served as patron a number of times and twice as district grand lecturer.
He was elected Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter State of New York Royal Arch Masons in 1998. He received the order of the Purple Cross (33 Degree in York Rite Masonry) and served as Grand Governor of the State of New York for the York Rite Sovereign College of North America.
He was named director emeritus of the Masonic Medical Research Institute in Utica in 2015 having served as Director, Masonic Med.Research Lab. 1999 to 2010, Vice President BoD, Masonic Med.Research Lab. 2011, and President BoD, Masonic Med.Research Lab. 2012-2014.
In his retirement years he and June served on the auxiliary board at A.O. Fox Hospital.
In his spare time, Ed enjoyed playing bridge and doing needle point art. He participated in the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, enjoyed scuba diving and loved his cats. Ed was always willing to volunteer or help someone out in need.
He is survived by his loving wife, June, of Oneonta; children, Mark (Sharon) Newsham, Traverse City, Michigan, Janet (Robert) Blatchley, Baltimore, Maryland and Kathy (Aden) Reese, Woods Hole, Massachusetts; six loving grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; as well as two nephews and one niece.
A service to celebrate Ed's life will be held at a later date.
Donations may be made in his name to A.O. Fox Hospital, First Presbyterian Church of Oneonta or the Masonic Medical Research Institute in Utica.