Kelly Newton, Shipley Award Winner and Devoted Family Man, Dies at 74

Fort Smith, Ark.—William Kelly Newton, the Shipley Award-winning jeweler who owned and operated Newton’s Jewelers alongside his wife and three daughters, died Dec. 29 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was 74.

Born March 21, 1950 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Newton majored in business management at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

After graduating and returning home in 1972, he made two decisions that would shape the rest of his life.

He reconnected with the woman who became his wife of 50 years, Marilyn Hill, and he started working at the jewelry store his father, second-generation jeweler William W. Newton, had opened in Arkansas in the early 1940s.

After William’s passing in 2001, Kelly led the company until he retired in 2023 and closed the store.
   
Kelly said at the time that since he was going into retirement, the family decided together that it would be best just to close the business.

“It’s kind of all or none,” he said.

Newton’s Jewelers was a Jewelers of America and American Gem Society member store.

Kelly was a longtime AGS certified gemologist appraiser who served on the organization’s international board of directors and chaired the Membership Committee and the Grievance and Review Committee.

In 2019, he was awarded AGS’s highest honor, the Robert M. Shipley Award, which is presented annually to a jeweler to recognize their commitment to AGS, the industry, and their communities.

In a statement shared to the AGS Facebook page, CEO Katherine Bodoh described Kelly as a “cherished” member of the organization whose leadership and dedication have left a lasting impact.

“As the third-generation owner and president of Newton’s Jewelers, he exemplified the values of professionalism and service,” she wrote.

“Kelly’s legacy of commitment to AGS, the jewelry industry, and his community will be fondly remembered. Our thoughts are with Marilyn and his daughters.”

Described in his online obituary as positive, loving, and honest, Kelly also was generous with his time and knowledge. 

He always was willing to speak with National Jeweler about how business was going, even during the busiest times of the year.

When interviewed for a Holiday Sales Report published in early December 2020, the Arkansas jeweler said he was surprised how robust business was in the midst of the pandemic, a phenomenon he attributed to people spending the money they’d saved by not eating out or traveling on jewelry.

“[Customers] need something to make them or their husband or wife feel good,” he said.

Outside of work, Kelly enjoyed singing in his church’s chancel choir and the Fort Smith Chorale.

He also loved golfing, fishing with friends, and being “K-dad” to his four grandchildren.

Kelly is survived by his wife Marilyn; daughters Sara Lane (Chad), Jennifer Norman (Josh), and Lucy Lundy (Michael); grandchildren Carson Newton Lane, Lillian Elizabeth Norman, William Webb Norman, and Sara Kathryn Lane; step-grandchildren Emily and Kristopher Lundy; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Louanna and Jack Green; nephews, Kevin Newton (Lisa), Jeffrey Green (Maria), and Hayden Green; and niece Courtenay Decker (Bill).

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Zoe Wilburn Newton, and two brothers, Kyle and Kevin Newton.

Services are scheduled to take place today at 2 p.m. CST in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church, Fort Smith Chorale, or Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House.