George Elbert Newby

George Elbert Newby, 93, passed away on Friday, July 11th, peacefully at his home in Huntsville surrounded by loving family. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 16th from 5:00-7:00 PM at Berryhill Funeral Home. Service will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, July 17th. Burial will be at Charity Baptist Church Cemetery.

George was raised in Huntsville's Merrimack Mill Village. Following his high school graduation in 1950, George entered the U.S. Air Force until 1954. He then attended Howard College (Samford University) where he was a standout on the tennis team. He completed his B.A. degree in religion and history with a minor in English and later earned his Master's Degree in secondary education from Alabama A&M University. George then taught and coached at Joe Bradley Jr. High from 1957-1962, earning Huntsville/Madison County Teacher of the Year Award in 1959. His football teams won 30 while only losing 3 games. His 1961 team went undefeated, scoring 600 points while only giving up 12 points during the entire season.

George then taught and coached at Butler High School from 1962-1969 and served as President of the Huntsville Teachers Association. His Junior Varsity teams won 129 games while only losing 11 games. George was the head track coach and assistant football and basketball coach in which he built the track program into one of the state's top programs. He then went to Grissom High School from 1969-1982. He earned numerous Coach of the Year honors for his efforts in tennis, track, and basketball. His tennis teams set a national record by winning 65 consecutive duel matches from 1974-1977 without a loss. George also served as the tennis pro for Valley Hill Country Club.

One of his biggest accomplishments at Grissom was his work in the classroom. George received the American Legion Teacher of the Year Award and the Alabama American History Teacher of the Year in 1981. His philosophy was that "no student should walk out of his classroom or out of his life a failure." George and his students created Honor America Day, a celebration of patriotism that allowed students to mingle with City and National dignitaries, and was recognized nationally. George received numerous national awards for this, including the Freedom Foundation Award, Gold Good Citizenship Award, Service to Mankind Award, and the National George Washington Honor Medal for Excellence in Education.

In 1982 George worked for Marshall Space Flight Center until 1998 where he earned several more awards including the NASA Excellent Achievement Medal. He ran the Combined Federal Campaign and SHARP program for students. He would always say, "the saddest thing in the world is an unprepared person facing a great opportunity." George also coached Girls AAU basketball for 12 years, winning 12 consecutive state tournaments and 2 national tournaments. He was inducted into the Madison County Hall of Fame in 2004.

George is survived by his son, Jon (Lynn) Newby; grandson Matthew Newby; great granddaughter Makinley Newby; brother Doyle Newby. He was preceded by his loving wife of 67 years, Lorene League Newby; parents John and Lillie Newby; son Wayne (Judy) Newby; daughter Wanda Bragg; sister Bettie (Maurice) Fisher.

George will be remembered for his mentorship, integrity, humility, work ethic, smile, and his incredible sense of humor. He was deeply committed to his church, community, and family. George was a devoted Christian and faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. He enjoyed being a preacher and teaching Sunday School, and singing in the church choir. He was the most loving neighbor, friend, and father. To those who knew George, he will always be remembered as Coach Newby.