Geoffrey Ian Newman

With sadness we announce the death of a great man, Geoffrey Ian Newman, of South Bend/Mishawaka, Indiana which, surrounded by many of his loving family, occurred on December 16, 2022. Geoff was born in South Bend, Indiana on August 23, 1940, to his late parents Leo and Ethel (Levenson) Newman.

He is survived by Joy (Nelson) Newman, his beloved wife of almost 25 years; his children Rochelle (David Rossell) Newman, Eric (Lisa) Newman, and Alex (Mary) Nelson; his grandchildren, Chase and Emerson Newman, who affectionately called him G-Pops; and his sisters Diane (Arthur) German, Lee (John Fox) Newman, and Lynn (Vernon Rhoden) Newman, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Geoff was preceded in death by his son Brian Newman.

After graduating from Riley High School in 1958, and Purdue University in 1962 where he was a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity, he returned to South Bend and began a six-year stint in the Indiana National Guard.

Geoff became a well-known and respected man in the business community of South Bend, being on the Board of Directors of the original Avanti Motor Corporation and the president of both Newman and Altman, Inc. and Michiana Auto Radiator, Inc. before retiring in 1999. For his business efforts he received the Spirit of Studebaker Award and was the Program Chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Development Program.

Geoff was an avid golfer who would play whenever possible, scoring several holes in one, in the game that he loved. However, it was honoring his commitment to helping others to which he gave most of his non-working hours.

Be it his willingness to counsel and help anyone who sought him out for help in resolving a problem that they were having or his broader commitment to human services that saw him active in many, many organizations, only a few being the Family and Children Center, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Northern Indiana Drug Abuse Services, The Jewish Federation of St. Joseph County, and the Visiting Nurses Association, Geoff always made himself available to help others in any way that he could.

In recognition of his keen mind, his problem-solving abilities, his leadership skills, and his commitment to helping others, he was appointed by Mayor Miller to be Chairperson of the Metropolitan Drug Abuse Commission and by Governor Bowen to serve on the Indiana State Health Coordinating Council. In addition, he was on a committee of seven responsible for creating Indiana’s first State Health Plan.

He also served as an Advisor to the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. He was an active member of Temple Beth-El, where he was elected President and where he continued to serve on its Board of Directors thereafter. Geoff was also awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his many contributions to that organization.

Funeral Services will take place on Thursday, December 22, 2022, at Temple Beth-El, 305 W. Madison St. in South Bend, at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Granger.

Keep his memory in your heart and if you care to, make donations in Geoff’s memory to Logan Protective Services (logancenter.org), the Food Bank of Northern Indiana (feedindiana.org), or Temple Beth-El (tbe-sb.org).

To view the recorded funeral, click below.

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