Louisana, New Orleans - Julia Newsham, a New Orleans resident since the early 1950s, died at age 88 on Saturday, June 23, 2012 after a prolonged illness.
She will be remembered by many for her active participation in the vocal arts as a performer and for her vigorous support of fledgling singers over many decades in their own pursuit of vocal careers.
She served on the Board of Governors and later the Executive Board of the New Orleans Opera Association, served a term as President of the Women's Guild, and chaired or participated in many fundraising events to promote activities and operation of the Opera.
Julia chaired or participated in fundraising and oversight activities held by the New Orleans opera support group Amici and by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Gulf Coast Region, to audition and select winners locally and in New York for stipends and scholarships among aspiring singers. She was Overture to the Cultural Season, whose aim was to provide scholarships to aspiring artists among all of the performing arts.
Julia moved to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee, where she was born on May 16, 1924, to Greek immigrant parents, George and Helen Pappas.
It was from them that she developed her musical ear, leading her to solo stints on the radio as a child soprano with the Bry's Juvenile Hour and as an adolescent performer in Junior High School with Young America Sings. In New Orleans, Julia engaged as a young adult in a social whirl that included opera singer Norman Treigle and playwright Tennessee Williams.
To support herself she served at Ochsner Clinic as a Medical Records Librarian. She performed as soloist and chorus member with uptown places of worship; St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church with choral director Lorraine Wright, Rayne Memorial Methodist Church with choral director Jack Hutton, Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue.
She met and married the late John Chauncey Newsham and together they raised their sons Philip Peter "Biff" Newsham and Terrence Tanner Newsham, now of Tallahassee, Florida, and their daughter Sally Newsham Inglis (Mrs. John Inglis), now of San Diego, California. John and Julia participated in the operation of the Royal Oak Restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana, which came to be widely hailed for its Greek cuisine as well as local favorites.
They participated together in support of the local Opera and made many friends over the years and will be missed.
In addition to her children, Julia is survived by her grandchildren, Sean Michael Fraser Inglis and Heather Alexis Inglis. Also surviving Julia are her brother, Andrew Pappas and sister, Dorothy Huston (Mrs. David Huston) and their children and grandchildren.
The Wake will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, June 29.
A visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., on Saturday, June 30 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122.
Burial will follow in Metairie Cemetery.
A Makaria (repast) will be held at the cathedral hall following the burial.
Donations can be made in her memory to: New Orleans Opera Association; 1010 Common St., Steve 1820; New Orleans, LA 70112; or to AMICI; 232 Lake Marina Drive, #8B; New Orleans, LA 70124.
Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, (504)486-6331
Published in The Commercial Appeal on June 28, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JULIA NEWSHAM, AVID SUPPORTER OF MUSIC, DIES AT AGE 88
by John Pope, NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
Julia Newsham, whose life was devoted to music, both as a performer and an avid donor a fundraiser, died Saturday at St. Anna's Home. She was 88. The was tireless in her efforts to boost careers and raise money for singers and performing arts groups, even when she was in declining health, said Philip Frohnmayer, a Loyola University music professor. "Anytime there was something to be done, whether it was raising money or having a party, she was right there," he said.
Born Julia Pappas in Memphis, Tenn., she was captivated by music early on, her daughter, Sally Inglis, said. She not only listened to music on the radio but also sang on programs such as "Bry's Juvenile Hour" and "Young America Sings." Young Julia, who was a soprano then, staged mini-operas in her backyard with a cast that included her brother, Andrew, and a neighbor, David Morelock, who went on to have a 40-year career directing operas in New Orleans.
She moved to New Orleans in the early 1950s to help her aunt take care of her children after the aunt's husband died. She got a job as a medical librarian at Ochsner Clinic, Inglis said, and she worked with Dr. Alton Ocshner, the clinic's namesake, on his groundbreaking research into the relationship between smoking and cancer.
"She would go out and smoke her cigarette," Inglis said, "and he fussed at her. "
A contalto in adulthood, she studied voice with several teachers and sang in operas and churches.
In the choir at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, she met John Newsham, a tenor. The were married in June 1966.
Mrs. Newsham held leadership positions in a host of arts-related organizations. She was on the New Orleans Opera Association's Board of Governors and its Executive Board, and was a former president of the opera's Women's Guild.
She was a former president, secretary and treasurer of Overture to the Cultural Season, which provides scholarships to fledgling artists, and was the treasurer of Bravo, the New Orleans Ballet's support group.
Mrs. Newsham also was active in AMICI, an opera-support group, and the regional affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
She radiated "positivity," Frohnmayer said. "When she was told she had scleroderma and was told she was going to die because there was no cure, she said, "I just didn't accept it."
Mrs. Newsham also supported individual artists' careers. One of her recent protégés was Bryan Hymel, the New Orleans-born tenor.
She organized a fundraiser for him at Trinity Episcopal Church - "it packed the house," Frohnmayer said - and even though she was weak, she flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico last summer to see Hymel sing the tile role in "Faust."
Survivors include two sons, Philip "Biff" Newsham and Terrance Newsham, both of Tallahassee, Fla.; a daughter, Sally Inglis of San Diego; a brother, Andrew Pappas of Baltimore; a sister, Dorothy Huston of Memphis; and two grandchildren.
She will be remembered by many for her active participation in the vocal arts as a performer and for her vigorous support of fledgling singers over many decades in their own pursuit of vocal careers.
She served on the Board of Governors and later the Executive Board of the New Orleans Opera Association, served a term as President of the Women's Guild, and chaired or participated in many fundraising events to promote activities and operation of the Opera.
Julia chaired or participated in fundraising and oversight activities held by the New Orleans opera support group Amici and by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Gulf Coast Region, to audition and select winners locally and in New York for stipends and scholarships among aspiring singers. She was Overture to the Cultural Season, whose aim was to provide scholarships to aspiring artists among all of the performing arts.
Julia moved to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee, where she was born on May 16, 1924, to Greek immigrant parents, George and Helen Pappas.
It was from them that she developed her musical ear, leading her to solo stints on the radio as a child soprano with the Bry's Juvenile Hour and as an adolescent performer in Junior High School with Young America Sings. In New Orleans, Julia engaged as a young adult in a social whirl that included opera singer Norman Treigle and playwright Tennessee Williams.
To support herself she served at Ochsner Clinic as a Medical Records Librarian. She performed as soloist and chorus member with uptown places of worship; St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church with choral director Lorraine Wright, Rayne Memorial Methodist Church with choral director Jack Hutton, Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue.
She met and married the late John Chauncey Newsham and together they raised their sons Philip Peter "Biff" Newsham and Terrence Tanner Newsham, now of Tallahassee, Florida, and their daughter Sally Newsham Inglis (Mrs. John Inglis), now of San Diego, California. John and Julia participated in the operation of the Royal Oak Restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana, which came to be widely hailed for its Greek cuisine as well as local favorites.
They participated together in support of the local Opera and made many friends over the years and will be missed.
In addition to her children, Julia is survived by her grandchildren, Sean Michael Fraser Inglis and Heather Alexis Inglis. Also surviving Julia are her brother, Andrew Pappas and sister, Dorothy Huston (Mrs. David Huston) and their children and grandchildren.
The Wake will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, June 29.
A visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., on Saturday, June 30 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122.
Burial will follow in Metairie Cemetery.
A Makaria (repast) will be held at the cathedral hall following the burial.
Donations can be made in her memory to: New Orleans Opera Association; 1010 Common St., Steve 1820; New Orleans, LA 70112; or to AMICI; 232 Lake Marina Drive, #8B; New Orleans, LA 70124.
Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, (504)486-6331
Published in The Commercial Appeal on June 28, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JULIA NEWSHAM, AVID SUPPORTER OF MUSIC, DIES AT AGE 88
by John Pope, NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
Julia Newsham, whose life was devoted to music, both as a performer and an avid donor a fundraiser, died Saturday at St. Anna's Home. She was 88. The was tireless in her efforts to boost careers and raise money for singers and performing arts groups, even when she was in declining health, said Philip Frohnmayer, a Loyola University music professor. "Anytime there was something to be done, whether it was raising money or having a party, she was right there," he said.
Born Julia Pappas in Memphis, Tenn., she was captivated by music early on, her daughter, Sally Inglis, said. She not only listened to music on the radio but also sang on programs such as "Bry's Juvenile Hour" and "Young America Sings." Young Julia, who was a soprano then, staged mini-operas in her backyard with a cast that included her brother, Andrew, and a neighbor, David Morelock, who went on to have a 40-year career directing operas in New Orleans.
She moved to New Orleans in the early 1950s to help her aunt take care of her children after the aunt's husband died. She got a job as a medical librarian at Ochsner Clinic, Inglis said, and she worked with Dr. Alton Ocshner, the clinic's namesake, on his groundbreaking research into the relationship between smoking and cancer.
"She would go out and smoke her cigarette," Inglis said, "and he fussed at her. "
A contalto in adulthood, she studied voice with several teachers and sang in operas and churches.
In the choir at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, she met John Newsham, a tenor. The were married in June 1966.
Mrs. Newsham held leadership positions in a host of arts-related organizations. She was on the New Orleans Opera Association's Board of Governors and its Executive Board, and was a former president of the opera's Women's Guild.
She was a former president, secretary and treasurer of Overture to the Cultural Season, which provides scholarships to fledgling artists, and was the treasurer of Bravo, the New Orleans Ballet's support group.
Mrs. Newsham also was active in AMICI, an opera-support group, and the regional affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
She radiated "positivity," Frohnmayer said. "When she was told she had scleroderma and was told she was going to die because there was no cure, she said, "I just didn't accept it."
Mrs. Newsham also supported individual artists' careers. One of her recent protégés was Bryan Hymel, the New Orleans-born tenor.
She organized a fundraiser for him at Trinity Episcopal Church - "it packed the house," Frohnmayer said - and even though she was weak, she flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico last summer to see Hymel sing the tile role in "Faust."
Survivors include two sons, Philip "Biff" Newsham and Terrance Newsham, both of Tallahassee, Fla.; a daughter, Sally Inglis of San Diego; a brother, Andrew Pappas of Baltimore; a sister, Dorothy Huston of Memphis; and two grandchildren.
Louisana, New Orleans - Julia Newsham, a New Orleans resident since the early 1950s, died at age 88 on Saturday, June 23, 2012 after a prolonged illness.
She will be remembered by many for her active participation in the vocal arts as a performer and for her vigorous support of fledgling singers over many decades in their own pursuit of vocal careers.
She served on the Board of Governors and later the Executive Board of the New Orleans Opera Association, served a term as President of the Women's Guild, and chaired or participated in many fundraising events to promote activities and operation of the Opera.
Julia chaired or participated in fundraising and oversight activities held by the New Orleans opera support group Amici and by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Gulf Coast Region, to audition and select winners locally and in New York for stipends and scholarships among aspiring singers. She was Overture to the Cultural Season, whose aim was to provide scholarships to aspiring artists among all of the performing arts.
Julia moved to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee, where she was born on May 16, 1924, to Greek immigrant parents, George and Helen Pappas.
It was from them that she developed her musical ear, leading her to solo stints on the radio as a child soprano with the Bry's Juvenile Hour and as an adolescent performer in Junior High School with Young America Sings. In New Orleans, Julia engaged as a young adult in a social whirl that included opera singer Norman Treigle and playwright Tennessee Williams.
To support herself she served at Ochsner Clinic as a Medical Records Librarian. She performed as soloist and chorus member with uptown places of worship; St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church with choral director Lorraine Wright, Rayne Memorial Methodist Church with choral director Jack Hutton, Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue.
She met and married the late John Chauncey Newsham and together they raised their sons Philip Peter "Biff" Newsham and Terrence Tanner Newsham, now of Tallahassee, Florida, and their daughter Sally Newsham Inglis (Mrs. John Inglis), now of San Diego, California. John and Julia participated in the operation of the Royal Oak Restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana, which came to be widely hailed for its Greek cuisine as well as local favorites.
They participated together in support of the local Opera and made many friends over the years and will be missed.
In addition to her children, Julia is survived by her grandchildren, Sean Michael Fraser Inglis and Heather Alexis Inglis. Also surviving Julia are her brother, Andrew Pappas and sister, Dorothy Huston (Mrs. David Huston) and their children and grandchildren.
The Wake will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, June 29.
A visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., on Saturday, June 30 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122.
Burial will follow in Metairie Cemetery.
A Makaria (repast) will be held at the cathedral hall following the burial.
Donations can be made in her memory to: New Orleans Opera Association; 1010 Common St., Steve 1820; New Orleans, LA 70112; or to AMICI; 232 Lake Marina Drive, #8B; New Orleans, LA 70124.
Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, (504)486-6331
Published in The Commercial Appeal on June 28, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JULIA NEWSHAM, AVID SUPPORTER OF MUSIC, DIES AT AGE 88
by John Pope, NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
Julia Newsham, whose life was devoted to music, both as a performer and an avid donor a fundraiser, died Saturday at St. Anna's Home. She was 88. The was tireless in her efforts to boost careers and raise money for singers and performing arts groups, even when she was in declining health, said Philip Frohnmayer, a Loyola University music professor. "Anytime there was something to be done, whether it was raising money or having a party, she was right there," he said.
Born Julia Pappas in Memphis, Tenn., she was captivated by music early on, her daughter, Sally Inglis, said. She not only listened to music on the radio but also sang on programs such as "Bry's Juvenile Hour" and "Young America Sings." Young Julia, who was a soprano then, staged mini-operas in her backyard with a cast that included her brother, Andrew, and a neighbor, David Morelock, who went on to have a 40-year career directing operas in New Orleans.
She moved to New Orleans in the early 1950s to help her aunt take care of her children after the aunt's husband died. She got a job as a medical librarian at Ochsner Clinic, Inglis said, and she worked with Dr. Alton Ocshner, the clinic's namesake, on his groundbreaking research into the relationship between smoking and cancer.
"She would go out and smoke her cigarette," Inglis said, "and he fussed at her. "
A contalto in adulthood, she studied voice with several teachers and sang in operas and churches.
In the choir at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, she met John Newsham, a tenor. The were married in June 1966.
Mrs. Newsham held leadership positions in a host of arts-related organizations. She was on the New Orleans Opera Association's Board of Governors and its Executive Board, and was a former president of the opera's Women's Guild.
She was a former president, secretary and treasurer of Overture to the Cultural Season, which provides scholarships to fledgling artists, and was the treasurer of Bravo, the New Orleans Ballet's support group.
Mrs. Newsham also was active in AMICI, an opera-support group, and the regional affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
She radiated "positivity," Frohnmayer said. "When she was told she had scleroderma and was told she was going to die because there was no cure, she said, "I just didn't accept it."
Mrs. Newsham also supported individual artists' careers. One of her recent protégés was Bryan Hymel, the New Orleans-born tenor.
She organized a fundraiser for him at Trinity Episcopal Church - "it packed the house," Frohnmayer said - and even though she was weak, she flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico last summer to see Hymel sing the tile role in "Faust."
Survivors include two sons, Philip "Biff" Newsham and Terrance Newsham, both of Tallahassee, Fla.; a daughter, Sally Inglis of San Diego; a brother, Andrew Pappas of Baltimore; a sister, Dorothy Huston of Memphis; and two grandchildren.
She will be remembered by many for her active participation in the vocal arts as a performer and for her vigorous support of fledgling singers over many decades in their own pursuit of vocal careers.
She served on the Board of Governors and later the Executive Board of the New Orleans Opera Association, served a term as President of the Women's Guild, and chaired or participated in many fundraising events to promote activities and operation of the Opera.
Julia chaired or participated in fundraising and oversight activities held by the New Orleans opera support group Amici and by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Gulf Coast Region, to audition and select winners locally and in New York for stipends and scholarships among aspiring singers. She was Overture to the Cultural Season, whose aim was to provide scholarships to aspiring artists among all of the performing arts.
Julia moved to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee, where she was born on May 16, 1924, to Greek immigrant parents, George and Helen Pappas.
It was from them that she developed her musical ear, leading her to solo stints on the radio as a child soprano with the Bry's Juvenile Hour and as an adolescent performer in Junior High School with Young America Sings. In New Orleans, Julia engaged as a young adult in a social whirl that included opera singer Norman Treigle and playwright Tennessee Williams.
To support herself she served at Ochsner Clinic as a Medical Records Librarian. She performed as soloist and chorus member with uptown places of worship; St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church with choral director Lorraine Wright, Rayne Memorial Methodist Church with choral director Jack Hutton, Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue.
She met and married the late John Chauncey Newsham and together they raised their sons Philip Peter "Biff" Newsham and Terrence Tanner Newsham, now of Tallahassee, Florida, and their daughter Sally Newsham Inglis (Mrs. John Inglis), now of San Diego, California. John and Julia participated in the operation of the Royal Oak Restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana, which came to be widely hailed for its Greek cuisine as well as local favorites.
They participated together in support of the local Opera and made many friends over the years and will be missed.
In addition to her children, Julia is survived by her grandchildren, Sean Michael Fraser Inglis and Heather Alexis Inglis. Also surviving Julia are her brother, Andrew Pappas and sister, Dorothy Huston (Mrs. David Huston) and their children and grandchildren.
The Wake will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, June 29.
A visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., on Saturday, June 30 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122.
Burial will follow in Metairie Cemetery.
A Makaria (repast) will be held at the cathedral hall following the burial.
Donations can be made in her memory to: New Orleans Opera Association; 1010 Common St., Steve 1820; New Orleans, LA 70112; or to AMICI; 232 Lake Marina Drive, #8B; New Orleans, LA 70124.
Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, (504)486-6331
Published in The Commercial Appeal on June 28, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JULIA NEWSHAM, AVID SUPPORTER OF MUSIC, DIES AT AGE 88
by John Pope, NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
Julia Newsham, whose life was devoted to music, both as a performer and an avid donor a fundraiser, died Saturday at St. Anna's Home. She was 88. The was tireless in her efforts to boost careers and raise money for singers and performing arts groups, even when she was in declining health, said Philip Frohnmayer, a Loyola University music professor. "Anytime there was something to be done, whether it was raising money or having a party, she was right there," he said.
Born Julia Pappas in Memphis, Tenn., she was captivated by music early on, her daughter, Sally Inglis, said. She not only listened to music on the radio but also sang on programs such as "Bry's Juvenile Hour" and "Young America Sings." Young Julia, who was a soprano then, staged mini-operas in her backyard with a cast that included her brother, Andrew, and a neighbor, David Morelock, who went on to have a 40-year career directing operas in New Orleans.
She moved to New Orleans in the early 1950s to help her aunt take care of her children after the aunt's husband died. She got a job as a medical librarian at Ochsner Clinic, Inglis said, and she worked with Dr. Alton Ocshner, the clinic's namesake, on his groundbreaking research into the relationship between smoking and cancer.
"She would go out and smoke her cigarette," Inglis said, "and he fussed at her. "
A contalto in adulthood, she studied voice with several teachers and sang in operas and churches.
In the choir at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, she met John Newsham, a tenor. The were married in June 1966.
Mrs. Newsham held leadership positions in a host of arts-related organizations. She was on the New Orleans Opera Association's Board of Governors and its Executive Board, and was a former president of the opera's Women's Guild.
She was a former president, secretary and treasurer of Overture to the Cultural Season, which provides scholarships to fledgling artists, and was the treasurer of Bravo, the New Orleans Ballet's support group.
Mrs. Newsham also was active in AMICI, an opera-support group, and the regional affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
She radiated "positivity," Frohnmayer said. "When she was told she had scleroderma and was told she was going to die because there was no cure, she said, "I just didn't accept it."
Mrs. Newsham also supported individual artists' careers. One of her recent protégés was Bryan Hymel, the New Orleans-born tenor.
She organized a fundraiser for him at Trinity Episcopal Church - "it packed the house," Frohnmayer said - and even though she was weak, she flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico last summer to see Hymel sing the tile role in "Faust."
Survivors include two sons, Philip "Biff" Newsham and Terrance Newsham, both of Tallahassee, Fla.; a daughter, Sally Inglis of San Diego; a brother, Andrew Pappas of Baltimore; a sister, Dorothy Huston of Memphis; and two grandchildren.
Inscription
And she delighted in each one
