Michael A. "Mike" Newsham

1947 - 2021

Michael A. "Mike" Newsham obituary, 1947-2021, Vancouver, WA

BORN

1947

DIED

2021

Michael Newsham Obituary


MICHAEL A. NEWSHAM
May 24, 1947 ˜ July 2, 2021

Mike Newsham died Friday, July 2, 2021. Mike was the youngest child born to Bob and Ruth Newsham in Warrensburg, Missouri. Mike graduated from Fort Dodge Sr. High School in Fort Dodge, IA, June 1965. He graduated from the University of Iowa in June of 1969, and then was drafted into the US Army Aug. 28th of that year. He served in Vietnam as a clerk for ten months while he and his typewriter “kept the world safe for democracy.”
After the war he received an MA in Library Science from the University Denver. In 1975 he met his future wife Barbara Micheel, and they were married April 9, 1976. While working for the US Department of Energy from 1980-1986, they had two sons, Patrick and Matthew. In 1986 the family made a long trek west to Portland, OR, where Mike went to work for the Bonneville Power Administration. He finally ended in Transmission Operations, Real Time Scheduling. He then went into the private sector with Pacific Power Management as a real time energy trader. He retired from Pacific Power in 2006 and went back to BPA as a billing analyst, retiring from government service in 2006 with twenty-five years of federal service.
Throughout his life Mike was always physically active. He participated in wrestling and track in high school and enjoyed hiking, rock and ice climbing, and mountaineering; climbing in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and even Tanzania, where he peaked Mount Kilimanjaro in 2014. Mike was also very active leading hikes and climbs for the Sierra Club. He led approximately 200 hikes and climbs from 2006 to 2018. His motto was “I like to take people on hikes to places they wouldn’t normally go on their own.” This included Mount St. Helens many times, South Sisters, Mount Hood, and day hikes in the Columbia River Gorge and the high alpine country around Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. If you hike or climb in those areas, look sharp and you might see his spirit somewhere high on a Pacific Northwest Mountain.
As much as he loved the outdoors, he loved his family more. Barbara was his rock, and she kept him grounded in life. He loved his sons and was very proud of them. He spent many hours with his grandchildren. They were all the apple of his eye and he loved the time he spent with them.
Mike is survived by his wife, Barbara Micheel; his two children, Patrick (Tina) Newsham and their son James of Wilmington, NC, and Matthew Newsham and his children Conner, Miette, Simone, Jaiden, Xavier, and Alex of Vancouver, WA; Also surviving is his brother, Robert (Glenda) Newsham of Fort Collins, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mike’s name to either the Mount St. Helens Institute or the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest Hospice, 2701 NW Vaughn St., Suite 140, Portland, OR 97210-5344.
Please share a memory @ www.columbian.com/obits

Published by The Columbian on Jul. 11, 2021.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
for Michael Newsham

Not sure what to say?





2 Entries

May 2023-Mrs. Newsham, sons and grandchildren. I just learned today that Mike has passed away. We were wrestling buddies at Urbandale High School and stayed in touch after Mike and his parents moved to Fort Dodge. Even made a climb together in Colorado in 1980 but stayed in touch by phone after that with the last phone call 4 or 5 years ago. As Danny McKenzie stated below, Mike will always be remembered. He is in Heaven now! God Bless, Pat Hannon

Pat Hannon

Friend

May 24, 2023

Classmate & friend during his 2 hrs at Urbandale High School in Iowa. Now immortal in my mind.

Danny Mckenzie

School

November 9, 2021

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results

Make a Donation
in Michael Newsham's name

Memorial Events
for Michael Newsham

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

How to support Michael's loved ones
Commemorate a cherished Veteran with a special tribute of Taps at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Michael Newsham's life and legacy
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more