Jimmy R. Newell

JIMMY R. "JIM" NEWELL passed away on December 26, 2019 after a courageous battle with liver cancer. Jim was born on January 9, 1941, the only child of Howard William Newell and Naylon Clanton Newell. Jim graduated from high school in Earle, Ark., and as a sophomore suffered a broken ankle in football that led him to learn guitar while he was healing. He quickly became a natural talent and by the end of his high school days he was playing gigs with one of his many bands, The Rhythm Ramblers. He was an accomplished guitar player, specializing in 50's rock and roll, blues, and jazz. He played studio sessions in Memphis when rock and roll was being born. He started college in Conway and finished at Little Rock University where he met his wife, Sandra Murphree, and made many lasting friendships that have endured. He was a long-time supporter of Little Rock University (UA Little Rock) serving on advisory boards and teaching insurance classes. Jim started out in the insurance business and his talent was quickly realized as he became Vice President of American Foundation Life in his early 30's. He soon started his own agency and became an icon in the life insurance and estate planning business in Central Arkansas. Jim was extremely respected by his clients and his industry peers. His hobbies and interests over the years were numerous, which made him such an interesting man. They included metal detecting, civil war artifact collecting, musician, guitar collector, duck hunting, duck call maker and collector, Peruvian Paso horses, trout fishing, and much more. Jim was a student in everything he took on and had an undying thirst for knowledge. He had a huge passion for duck hunting and was a great duck caller. His love for duck hunting led him to develop the Penn Bay duck call. His duck calls were featured in some hunting books and sold internationally. But one of his greatest pleasures was time spent at the "duck club" and enjoying the many cherished friendships that were developed from his love of hunting and the outdoors. Over the years Jim served as President of the Little Rock School Board, was on the Arkansas Real Estate Commission, and served on numerous insurance industry and church boards. He possessed a calm demeanor and steady personality that enabled him to be very respected and liked with any civic service undertaking. Jim was most of all a loving and devoted family man. For 50 years he was married to Sandra Murphree Newell, until her death in 2012, and was a wonderful father and mentor to his son, Chris, and daughter, Paige, and a loving grandfather to his three grandchildren. He was a steadfast husband to Sandra and was her ever-present caregiver as she herself battled cancer. Jim emerged from that sad period of losing Sandra to find a new love, Sharon Flood Newell, and they were married in 2016. He was also a devoted husband to her and cherished stepfather to Sharon's daughter, Cyleste, and Sharon's granddaughters, Baylor and Berkley. Sharon was totally devoted to Jim and provided amazing care for him until the end. Jim Newell will be greatly missed by his family and countless friends whom he loved dearly. He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Naylon Newell, and his loving wife, Sandra. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, two children, Christopher Newell (Janey), and Paige Newell Bischof (Ben), as well as his three grandchildren, Rachel Newell, Laura Newell, and Brady Beavers. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1101 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock, Ark., 72207. The family will receive friends for visitation from 5-7 p.m., on Monday, December 30, 2019 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to The Jim Newell Scholarship Fund or The Sandra Murphree Newell Endowed Scholarship Fund at UA Little Rock, Office of Alumni and Development, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark., 72204. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.