Richard B. Newman of Framingham, MA passed away at his home on February 24, 2023, with his wife and his daughter by his side. The son of Leon B. Newman and Hazel Walker Newman, he was born in Boston on October 3, 1938.
After preparing at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA, Richard graduated from Harvard College in 1960, receiving an A.B. In 1963, he received an LL.B. from Harvard Law School.
Richard went on to pursue a career in law at Tyler & Reynolds and subsequently, Newman Meserve. As the Managing Partner of Newman Meserve, Richard served as the CEO of several companies. He ran, as a fiduciary, Old Colony Crushed Stone - a quarry and road construction company; Fairfield & Ellis – Insurance company; The Van Keuren Company – a precision gauge manufacturer; and Crane Properties – a redevelopment and rental of commercial buildings company. Richard successfully managed and sold all of these companies for the benefit of the owners. After putting himself out of a job, Richard bought a small Waltham company named D&R Products. Starting with 4 employees, Richard grew the company to become a modern manufacturer of medical devices with 75+ employees. D&R was the professional accomplishment that meant the most to him. The company was run for the benefit of the customers and the employees, as he believed, "you need both to have a successful business”.
A voracious reader, Richard consumed biographies, history, British literature and medical journals. He had a love of cars, beginning with his first MG, and ending with his beloved Porsches. He enjoyed tending to the beautiful gardens he designed and built. He was a lifelong photographer, with his major interest being photographing people. He loved the Cape and Nantucket and spent many summers on the beach. Richard was devoted to his cats, and his cats were just as devoted to him. He made one exception, which was his unsuccessful experiment with keeping a racoon as his boon companion.
A loving husband and father, Richard is survived by his wife of 43 years, Cece Newman; his daughter, Hope Newman; and grandson, Connor Provost. He is also survived by his brothers, Lawrence Newman and J. Christopher Newman; along with nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and his beloved son, Oliver Adams Newman.
Richard possessed an incredible wit, extraordinary intellect, unimpeachable integrity and boundless generosity. Always quietly and without the need for recognition, he helped countless people. From assisting those looking to buy their first homes or to start businesses, he was always the first to lend support to anyone needing sound advice or help of any kind. Ever the gentleman, Richard endeavored to make life better for all fortunate enough to have known him. "The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better." – Robert F. Kennedy. Richard will be greatly missed.
A celebration of his remarkable life was held March 11, 2023. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard's name may be made to Sherrill House, c/o Bethany Allen (ballen@sherrillhouse.org) or The Unforgotten Souls (dog rescue) c/o www.theunforgottensouls.com. To share a memory with Richard's family, kindly visit www.mccarthyfh.com.
