Jon Carl Newman

Jon Newman, 45, Amherst, died Thursday, March 8, 2012, at Ministry Saint Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point.

Jon was born in Stevens Point to Jim and Vivian Newman, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a degree in biology. He spent two years in Malawi, Africa, with the Peace Corps where he met his wife, Michelle (nee Brown, Rockford, Ill.), whom he married in 1993. He completed his master's degree in physical therapy at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, and returned to Stevens Point where he spent most of his career working at Ministry Saint Michael's Hospital as a physical therapist and geriatric physical therapy specialist. Jon was an active participant in pain management research in the field of physical therapy. Jon's love of nature was seen in his enthusiasm for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, long distance running, frog studies, organic gardening, and his efforts to reestablish native prairie grasses and flowers on his 85-acre farm.

Jon was a devoted husband and Staffordshire bull terrier owner.

Jon is survived by his wife, Michelle; his brother, Jim Newman in Los Angeles; and sisters, Linnea Newman in North Creek, N.Y., and Patricia Ramsay in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Memorial service will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, in Room 170 of the Trainer Natural Resources Building at UW-SP.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Villagereach.org.