Jimmy Baker Newberry, formerly of Hartland, VT and most recently of South Ryegate, VT, passed away on February 2, 2019, at his home surrounded by family.

Jim was born on March 15, 1946, the third son of Maynard and June (Mustard) Newberry, and grew up on their dairy farm in Mechanicsburg, VA.  He graduated from Bland High School in 1964 and worked briefly on the construction of I-77 in Bland County, VA.

He enlisted in the Army in October of 1966 and served as an Operating Room Specialist and Surgical Technician during the Vietnam War.  After being discharged from the Army in 1969, Jim worked as a Surgical Technician in Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA, where he met his wife Sylvia and welcomed their son Brian.  During those years, he enrolled in the Northern Virginia Community College School of Nursing and earned his RN.

In 1976, Jim and his family relocated to Hartland, VT, where he worked as an ICU nurse at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover. He later worked in the ICU and the Operating Room of the Veterans Administration Hospital in White River Jct.  During that time, he welcomed their daughter, Edith.  Jim took great pride in the care he provided to all of his patients over the years.

After leaving the VA, Jim worked as an educator in Claremont, NH and Woodstock, VT.  In 1988, Jim graduated from the Building Trades program at Vermont Technical College and became a skilled carpenter, specializing in fine woodworking.

Over the years, Jim was a member of both the Brownsville United Methodist Church and the White River United Methodist Church, where he actively participated, teaching Sunday School, leading youth groups, organizing Vacation Bible School, and serving at church suppers.

During retirement, Jim volunteered at the Hartland Public Library and was instrumental in the founding of the Friends of Veterans in White River Junction, VT. He also enjoyed working in his vegetable and flower gardens and frequenting local restaurants where he built lifelong friendships with the staff.

A devoted father and grandfather, Jim could always be heard cheering from the sidelines of games, reading books with children on his lap, fishing, giving driving lessons on his tractor, or sharing his love of wood working with anyone who was willing to learn.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Maynard and June (Mustard) Newberry, brother Jerry Newberry, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Jim will be dearly missed by his family; Sylvia, his wife of 47 years, his children Brian & Christine Lloyd-Newberry of Colchester, VT and Edith (Newberry) & John Fogarty of Newbury, VT; his grandchildren Ayden Lloyd-Newberry, John Fogarty and Elizabeth Fogarty.  He is survived by his uncle Gerald & Ann Mustard of Porsgrunn, Norway, brothers Allen & Norma Newberry of Bland, VA; John Newberry of Roanoke, VA; Larry Newberry of Bland, VA; and his sister Debbie (Newberry) & Malcolm Boothe of Pulaski,

VA; nieces and nephews Ryan & Amy Newberry of Max Meadows, VA; Erin (Newberry) & Joe Gerber of Portland, OR; Matthew & Shannon Newberry of Redwood City, CA; BJ (Boothe) & Daniel Ratliff of Pulaski, VA; Lacie (Boothe) & Ryan Jones of Pulaski, VA;  Amanda (Newberry) & Marcus Clausen of Roanoke, VA; and many cousins, extended family, and friends.

A celebration of Jim's life will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 2 to 4 PM, there will be an informal gathering at the American Legion Hall, 2 Legion Road, Hartland, VT to remember and celebrate his life and the gifts he shared with those around him.  His family invites those who knew him and loved him to join them in sharing memories and stories of the time they shared with Jim.  Light refreshments will be provided.  If you wish, bring a plate of cookies or a simple dessert to share, and a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank in Jim's memory.  Jim is no longer present with us, but his spirit lives on in the lives and actions of those who have been touched by his life.

Donations in memory of Jim may be made to the Fisher House Foundation: 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852; Baldwin Memorial Library, PO Box 337, Wells River, VT 05081; the Wells River Food Shelf: ? Wells River Congregational Church, 76 Main St. North, Wells River, VT 05081; or by paying it forward by helping someone in your local community.

For more information or to sign an online condolence please visit www.rickerfh.com