CAPE CARTERET  -  John William Newsome, 84, of Cape Carteret, passed away peacefully Monday, January 19, 2026 at his home, with his daughters by his side.  After a brief hospital stay, we honored his wishes to "go home and figure it out".

John was born John William Newsome on August 9, 1941 in Goldsboro, North Carolina to John D and Laulas Smith Newsome. He met the love of his life, Libby Conley when they were 15 and 13 in Goldsboro. After John graduated from Goldsboro High School in 1959 and Libby in 1961, they married on January 14, 1962 in Goldsboro.

John and Libby moved to Kinston, where they worked at DuPont Manufacturing and raised their daughters until their early retirement at the age of 50. Their retirement years were spent enjoying their grandchildren, traveling in their motorhome to their "home away from home" in Florida. They loved playing golf, following Nascar, hosting Happy Hours, creating beautiful landscapes and making countless friends along the way.

John was a man of many sports, a fierce competitor, and excelled at all things he tried. He loved drag racing in the early 60's, winning the North Carolina A Class Drag Racing Championship in both '60 & '61. A fun fact is he raced against Richard Petty before anyone knew who Richard Petty was!! Slow pitch softball was the sport filling his off work time in the early 70s giving him the opportunity to play in the 1974 USSSA Men's B Slow Pitch World Series held in Kinston. He traded in the ball & bat for birddogs and horses making a name for himself and "Rodney Dangerfield", his champion pointer at bird dog field trials in NC and VA. He was an excellent fisherman spending many hours with his fishing buddies chasing spot or speckled trout along the east coast. He was always ready to go and oh the fish stories he could tell.

Did we mention he loves to compete? Golf has been a passion for over 5 decades. He won too many tournaments and championships over the years to list. A great accomplishment was winning the Wayne County Men's Amateur Super Seniors Championship 3 consecutive years in 2005, 2006, 2007. He was a great teacher and player, always sharing stories and advice with his golfing buddies. He helped his son-in-law, Steve, decide golf was a much safer sport than racing bikes when he witnessed him crash in the early 80s and made his daughter, Beth, a golf widow for life! His passion for golf continued even after his body decided it had played its last round working as Starter and Ranger at Star Hill Golf Club. At the age of 79 he was very upset he "shot his age" when many of us would love to shoot 79!

Have you ever watched a men's Duke basketball game with him? If so, you know how much he bled Duke Blue! Did not miss a game, could recall every player & their stats, and every ACC & NCAA tournament wins. He cheered and yelled at the TV as if he were one of the Duke Crazies in the stands! He passed his passion for Duke basketball on to his daughter, Susan who watched his final game with him on the Saturday night before his passing.

John was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Mary Elizabeth "Libby" Newsome; his parents, John D & Laulas Newsome; and brothers, Billy Ray Newsome & Eddis Newsome.

He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Beth Newsome Whitley (Steve) and Susan Newsome Patchkofsky (Mike); grandchildren, Mackenzie Wasilick (Andrew), Parker Williams (Abby), and Margaux Lobeira (Edgar); great-granddaughter, Audrey Williams; great-grandson due in February; a very close sister & brother-in-law, Novella Newsome Zambelli (Johnny); a special nephew, Monty Newsome, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He requested a Celebration of Life be held later in his honor at Star Hill Golf Club with laughter, love, and sharing our fondest memories. He always had a great story to share and we look forward to hearing some of his favorites.

In lieu of flowers, consider honoring John's memory and love of golf by supporting junior golf with a contribution to John Newsome Junior Golf Fund through the Carl Beaman Junior Golf Camp at Star Hill Golf Club. Contributions should be payable and mailed to Carl Beaman Golf Shop, 202 Club House Dr., Cape Carteret, NC 28584. Include John Newsome Junior Golf Fund on the memo line.