Jesse Strickland Newsom, Jr.

Jesse Strickland Newsom, Jr., called Strick, died Monday, June 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg Florida.  He was age 90.  A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, June 15th at 11:00 a.m,. at  Sandersville United Methodist Church with burial in  Sandersville Old City Cemetery.  Reverend Stan Littleton will officiate, and Mr. Newsom's grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.  The Newsom family will greet friends in Heritage Hall of the Church from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service.

Strick was born on June 17, 1933 in Peoria, Illinois, son of the late Jesse Strickland Newsom, Sr. and the late Elizabeth Pritchard Newsom.  In 1939 his family moved to Sandersville near family where Strick grew up.  After graduating from Sandersville High School, Strick attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University.  While at Auburn, Strick was a member and president of Sigma Chi Fraternity and a  member of SPADES, an honorary society where he obtained many lasting friendships.

Following graduation from Auburn, in 1955, Strick entered the US Navy and served on three destroyer escorts in the Pacific Fleet.  He served as a Chief Engineer.  In 1958 Strick attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a Masters in Business Administration.  It was at Penn State where Strick met his first wife, Betty Harmuth, a fellow student, whom he married in 1961.  Strick joined Brown Brothers Harriman and Co., a private international banking firm on Wall Street in New York City, where he rose from management trainee to loan officer.  In 1970 Strick purchased F.W. Bolgiano and Co., a seed distributor in Washington D.C.  Later he created Newsom Seed Company in Rockville Maryland which he would own and operate until his retirement.  While in Rockville he and Betty reared a family and supported them in all of their endeavors.  He was active in his community and professional business affairs.

Following the death of Betty, Strick was reacquainted with a childhood friend from home, Barbara Etheridge, whom he married.  Together they resided in the Maryland/D.C.  area where they were active in cultural arts at the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian just to name a few.  In 1998 Strick and Barbara returned to Sandersville to be near family and friends.  While retired at home they traveled extensively and remained active in the Sandersville community as members of the Sandersville United Methodist Church, the Twin City and Country Club and the Sandersville Lions Club.

Strick held a passion for the outdoors and loved spending time and helping manage family land.  His greatest joy was spending time with family and extended family.  In addition to his parents and first wife, Strick is also predeceased by his sister Josephine Pritchard Newsom Cummings and her husband Frank.

Survivors include his wife Barbara Etheridge Newsom of Sandersville; children, Jesse Strickland Newsom, III. and his wife Dee of North Carolina, Joday Franklin Newsom and his wife Sheila of Maryland, and Beth Newsom and her husband Tarek Sawi of Virginia, step-daughters, Lora Barbara Lemon and her husband Brett and Elizabeth Congo and her husband Paul all of Florida; and grandchildren, Jessica Lynn Newsom, Franklin Dean Newsom, Charles Stickland Newsom, Sullivan Newsom, Nathan Newsom, John Gauntt, Parker Gauntt and Lillie Congo.

Please share an online condolence at www.mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com

May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.