"Celebrating the Life of Cal Newman"

Calvin Alfred “Cal” Newman, 86, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away on September 10, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri, after a heroic battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Cal was born June 23, 1940, in Emporia, Kansas, to William and Beulah (Rhodes) Newman. The oldest of four children, he grew up alongside his brothers, David and Dale, and sister, Martha. During Cal's earliest years, his father served overseas in World War II. The family later lived in Wichita before settling in Derby, Kansas, a community that remained close to Cal's heart throughout his life.

Cal graduated from Derby High School in 1958, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He continued his education at Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, where he also played baseball, before earning a Bachelor of Science in Education from Emporia State Teachers College.

Cal began his professional life as a junior high science teacher and basketball coach in Independence, Missouri. His love of science and natural ability to connect with people eventually led him to the pharmaceutical industry, where he built a successful career spanning more than two decades. Later in his professional life, Cal also worked in financial planning and sales. Throughout his career, his greatest strength was his ability to connect with people. He had a remarkable ability to remember not only people's names, but their families, their stories, and what mattered to them.

In 1976, Cal's life changed when a longtime professional acquaintance, Joyce Martin, became something more. They married on December 26, 1976, beginning a marriage that would span nearly 50 years. Cal and Joyce built a life centered on family, faith, and a deep devotion to one another.

Together they made their home in Derby, where they raised their children, Laura, Kevin, and Kelly. Being a father was one of the great joys of Cal's life. He was warm and gentle, calm and steady, and always interested in the lives of the people he loved. Those same qualities later made him a treasured grandfather to 14 and great-grandfather to three.

Family remained at the center of Cal's life as the years went on. He and Joyce loved to travel, creating memories together and with their children and grandchildren. Cal especially loved watching his grandchildren compete in sports, and basketball games became a familiar place to find him. Whether the game was close to home or required a road trip, he loved being in the stands, watching his grandchildren play and cheering them on. For Cal, showing up was simply part of loving his family.

Cal loved the outdoors and remained remarkably active throughout his life. He enjoyed hunting, gardening, baseball, running, and spending time in nature. In his later years, one of his most cherished traditions was traveling to the mountains of Wyoming each September to elk hunt with his son, family, and friends. He treasured those trips and the relationships built through them.

He was endlessly curious and a lifelong learner. A science teacher at heart, Cal never lost his fascination with animals, plants, and the natural world. He loved sharing what he knew with his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed chess and took great pleasure in teaching the game to another generation of his family.

Faith was an important and deeply personal part of Cal's life. He grew up in the church, served for many years as a minister, and remained a devoted student of the Bible throughout his life. His spiritual journey was a long and thoughtful one, and after many years away from a formal church home, Cal chose to enter the Catholic Church. He was baptized into the Catholic faith on September 3, 2026. Through every chapter of that journey, his belief in God, the importance of prayer, and his desire to understand his faith remained central to his life.

Perhaps Cal's character was most evident in the way he treated people. He made friends wherever he went and offered the same kindness and respect to everyone he encountered. He remembered names, asked about families, and genuinely listened. Whether talking with a longtime friend, a physician, a nurse, a neighbor, or someone he had just met, Cal had a way of making people feel known and valued.

His family will remember his warmth, gentle humor, curiosity, corny jokes, love of family, and the quiet consistency with which he cared for others. He was a devoted husband and father, a proud grandfather and great-grandfather, a loyal brother, uncle and friend, and a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

Cal is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Joyce A. Newman; his three children, Laura Boswell, Kevin Newman and his wife, Christina, and Kelly Kilian and her husband, T.J.) Anthony J. Kilian. He is also survived by his 14 grandchildren: Bryce Seal, Joshua Mae, Tori Mae, Alyssa Boswell (Beau), Braden Boswell (Jaci), Christianna Berger (Edward), Andraya Newman (Chad), Joel Newman (Kerry), Skyla Newman, River Coler (Brandon), Blake Kilian, Natalie Kilian, Jack Kilian, and Charlotte Kilian; and his three great-grandchildren, Kierce Seal, Othello Coler, and Onofre Coler. Cal is also survived by his brothers, David Newman (Debbie) and Dale Newman; his sister, Martha Van Nordstrand; and many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Beulah (Rhodes) Newman, and his son-in-law, Doug Boswell.

A funeral service celebrating Cal's life will be held at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish, 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood, Kansas 66223, with a luncheon to follow.

For those wishing to honor Cal, memorial contributions may be made to Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care or The University of Kansas Cancer Center, supporting compassionate end-of-life care and continued cancer research. Those wishing to send flowers for the service may have them delivered to St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish, 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood, KS 66223.

Cal leaves behind a large and loving family and a lifetime of relationships shaped by his kindness, faith, curiosity, and genuine interest in others. His influence will live on through the generations of his family and the many people fortunate enough to have known him.