Roger Newton

February 26th, 1951 - September 30th, 2025

2 Timothy 4:7 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Roger Everette Newton, 74, of Fleetwood, NC passed away peacefully on September 30, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of faith, service, and countless lives touched by his ministry and compassion. Roger is survived by his wife of 52 years, Debbie Newton, three sons - Benjamin, Joshua, and Caleb, and three grandchildren -Gwyneth, Emery, and Everette. A memorial service with military honors will be held at the Mountain Home National Cemetery. Roger's family asks that you show your appreciation for his life by donating in his name to two of his favorite ministries - Operation Christmas Child and Gideon's International.

Roger was born on February 26th, 1951, to Bennie and Mozelle Newton and grew up in the rolling hills of Morganton on his family's farm while his father worked at the nearby Drexel Furniture factory. As a teenager, Roger developed a life-long love of muscle cars and working on them - including owning his own, tricked out Ford Mustang that could shoot flames out of the exhaust pipes.

Roger proudly served his country in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, answering the call to duty with the same dedication that would characterize his entire life. In the fall of 1971, while stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, Roger met his future wife while riding the "love bus" - a colorful bus that picked up people going to a local church. They were engaged before Roger was deployed overseas in the spring of 1972.

He put his mechanical skills to work as a crew chief for the F-4 fighter jets. While stationed in Thailand he also found a love for ministry volunteering with local missionaries. Roger was sent back stateside when the war ended in the fall of 1972. In June 1973, Roger married the love of his life, Deborah Alice Newton, beginning a story that would span over five decades.

Roger got an early-out in April of 1974 and went to work for NASA at the Johnson Space Center at White Sands, New Mexico. While there he worked on the Mars Space Rover and the Soyuz capsule. Afterwards, Roger worked on an associate's degree at New Mexico State while Debbie finished her education degree. Their first son, Ben, was born in the spring of 1975.

That fall of 1975, the new family moved to Waco where Roger finished his Bachelor's Degree at Baylor University. Though originally intending to become a Doctor, Roger felt the call to ministry and started at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX in the fall of 1976. He graduated with a Master's of Divinity in the spring of 1980 and was ordained as a Baptist Minister.

Roger took up his first pastorate in Bostic, NC at Concord Baptist Church where Roger and Debbie's second son, Joshua, was born in 1980. Roger moved to Rockingham, NC in 1982 to serve at Cartledge Creek Baptist Church where a third son, Caleb, was welcomed to the family

in 1983. While serving in Rockingham, Roger and Debbie felt the call to be missionaries. The family of five was packed and ready to go overseas when Roger and Debbie received the devastating news that their son, Joshua, had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Roger spoke later of how the experience of caring for a sick child helped prepare him for a later career as a Hospice Chaplain. After a trying year in Dallas, TX while Joshua received treatment at a top cancer center, the family received an invitation to serve in the country of Norway in Europe. Roger served in Norway for 6 years from 1986 to 1992. He travelled across the country training Norwegian Baptists on Evangelism and Church planting, sharing his faith and passion, and building lifelong relationships. He also went on special missions' trips, including a trip behind the iron curtain to Poland and Romania visiting the underground churches in those countries. Roger also completed his Doctorate in Evangelism while overseas.

The Newton family returned to the US in 1992, and Roger took up a pastoral role with Trinity Baptist Church and later Pine Swamp Baptist Church. In the late 1990s Roger found a new career as a Hospice Chaplain, a role for which it seemed he had been preparing his whole life. Roger found profound purpose as a Hospice Chaplain, where his gentle spirit and compassionate presence brought comfort to countless families during their most difficult moments. His ability to sit with those who were suffering, to listen without judgment, and to offer hope in the midst of sorrow was a gift that touched hundreds of lives.

During a stint away from Hospice, Roger also ran the Ashe Pregnancy Center for several years, extending his pastoral care to young women struggling. Roger returned to Hospice where he continued until retirement. As a Hospice Chaplin across several Blueridge counties, Roger touched the lives of hundreds of people. It was not an uncommon site for people to walk up to Roger and tell him how profoundly he had affected their lives by caring for a loved one.

After 2021, Roger's health began to deteriorate as he started dialysis due to failing kidney function. Even in those dark days of sickness, Roger continued to touch the lives of his family, friends, fellow patients and doctors - right up until the morning of September 30th when his Lord finally called him home.

Roger's impact cannot be measured in years alone, but in the lives, he changed, the souls he comforted, and the faith he inspired. Whether from the pulpit, at a hospital bedside, or across the kitchen table, Roger always showed a passion for life and a deep compassion for those the Lord placed in his path. He will be missed, and his impact will be felt for years to come.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.