Dennis W. Newsham

Dennis W. Newsham On April 1, Dennis W. Newsham passed away peacefully in his home in Orting. Dennis was born on May 19, 1945 to Thomas and Reatha Newsham in Tacoma. He graduated from Mt. Tahoma High School in 1963. A couple of years after high school he enlisted in the Coast Guard and joined the new Coastal Forces division. After serving, he went to work for his uncle and mentor Ed Selden and followed in Uncle Ed's footsteps by opening his own flooring business, Hillside Floor Covering, in 1971. Dennis was a hard worker with an unending amount of energy. When work had ended for the day it was often time to go build duplexes/houses with his brother and brother-in-law. When it came to business, Dennis truly loved it. He forged lifelong friendships through the business and was incredibly successful. Before Hillside became what it is today, he dedicated much of the warehouse space to a favorite hobby, racing. In 1981 he set a drag racing world record in his super stock 1968 Camaro. He was an original member of the Kingsmen Car Club. He enjoyed poker nights with the family, boating to Penrose, golfing, chocolate milkshakes, making breakfast on the weekends and going to the casino. Anyone who knew Dennis can testify to the amazing luck he had, especially with the slots! He liked travelling to Reno, Las Vegas and Phoenix, but for him nowhere was better than Hawaii. Every Wednesday afternoon was golf day and without fail the clouds would part enough for him to get a round in. He was exceptionally proud of his children and always kept them as the priority. He is survived by many people who loved him very much, including his children, Amy Geppert (Gary) and Brett Newsham, and his granddaughter Charlotte Geppert. Dennis will be interred at Tahoma National Cemetery. A celebration of his life will be held at High Cedars Golf Club in Orting on Tuesday, April 12th at 2pm. The family requests that you raise your glass and toast, "A great man of integrity who lived life in high gear, flat out, one quarter mile at a time!" (And it was a great ride.)