Jean DeMatteo Newton

Jean DeMatteo Newton was born on November 13, 1928, in Rochester, New York, and joined heaven's choir peacefully in her sleep on December 3, 2023, at Dominion Senior Living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The memorial service will be on Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 3:00pm at Graham Chapel at Christ Community Church in Montreat, North Carolina with Rev. Richard White officiating. In lieu of flowers, please send gifts to Asheville Christian Academy in honor of Jean Newton.
Jean is survived by her daughters, Kathryn Byers (Frank Byers) and Karen Newton-Fogo; her three grandchildren, Lydia Fogo Johnson (Nick Johnson), Jonathan Fogo, Gracie Fogo; her sister, Josephine Warlick and her great-grandson, Luca Johnson. Jean is also survived by her beloved nieces and nephews: David Warlick, Lois Warlick-Jarvie (David Jarvie), Ruth Warlick, and James Warlick (Denise Warlick); and great-nieces and nephews, Pauline Wagner-Jarvie (Matthew Wagner-Jarvie), Michael Jarvie, Phil Trautman (Samantha Stieve), and Elizabeth Trautman.
Jean was the youngest daughter of Luigi and Pauline DeMatteo, Italian immigrants from Sicily and Italy. Her parents filled their home with Christ's love, music, and extended family gatherings featuring traditional Italian cuisine. Jean developed a talent for playing the violin in elementary school and continued taking violin lessons from Eastman School of Music throughout middle and high school. She graduated from Barrington College in Providence, Road Island, majoring in voice and violin. Jean was also a gifted pianist and could skillfully transpose music to fit the musical needs of whomever she was accompanying. Additionally, Jean participated in Youth for Christ and sang in several musical ensembles with her sisters, Connie and Josephine.
The first time Jean met John was when he walked her down the aisle at a fellow officer's wedding in 1952. They corresponded throughout the remainder of his service in the Navy, only seeing each other three times before they were married in Rochester, NY, on December 22, 1954.
Jean and John moved to Montreat, North Carolina, when John accepted a position at Montreat Anderson College in 1964. Jean pursued her love for teaching where she taught at Black Mountain Primary and Asheville Country Day School/Asheville Christian Academy (1969-1992). For most of her teaching career, Jean taught second grade. She loved teaching children to read and write in cursive, but most importantly, she loved teaching children about Jesus.
In addition to teaching at ACA, Jean served in leadership roles in the women of the church at Montreat Presbyterian/Christ Community Church. She also conducted children's choirs and wrote music for the children to perform. Jean was an avid supporter of the music ministry in the church and one of her greatest joys was to use her powerful alto/soprano voice to sing in the choir.
Jean moved to Dominion Senior living in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in August 2018, where she participated in monthly devotions and hymn sing-a-longs. Since 2020, the nursing staff faithfully displayed services from Christ Community Church in Montreat for her and other residents to view on Sunday mornings. Jean enjoyed regular visits from her family and celebrated many birthdays and holidays with her grandchildren and she was thrilled to meet her great-grandson in June 2022.
Jean's patient and kind spirit and love for Christ her Savior radiated through her sweet smile, her devotion to her husband, daughters, grandchildren and all who knew her. She loved singing to her grandchildren, teaching them about Jesus and proudly watching them pursue their passions and dreams as adults. Both John and Jean's legacy of love will be cherished by their loving family.
The Newtons would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Dominion Senior Living of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for their excellent loving care of our mother and for the support and comfort they have given to our family.