Murl Newton Jr. was the oldest of eight children born to the late Murl Sr. and Maria Smoak in Smoaks, South Carolina. He married Maryann Adams on June 11, 1954 and soon immigrated to Brooklyn, New York where they resided until 1968 when they bought their own home in South Ozone Park, Queens. To their union were raised six children, Duron, Marion, Marian (Magie), Rodger, Sandra and Larry. Sadly Rodger preceded him in death in 1980.

He worked laying linoleum and carpet and later worked in the construction industry. He was a member of Local 1298 and 1010 and retired as Forman from Petracca & Sons after thirty five years.

To some Murl Newton Jr. was a loud gentle giant. To his friends, in South Ozone Park Queens, where he lived for the last forty four years he was know as “Big Red”, “The Mayor” or simply “Pops”. To his grand kids and daughter-in-law he was “PaPa”. To his niece and nephews that loved him so much, he was “Uncle Junior”, and they would always tell you that he was one of their favorite uncles. To others he was the one person you wanted to know, he knew everybody and everybody knew him. If you had a problem with your home or car he knew somebody for you to call to help you solve your problem.

Murl’s favorite past time was fishing with cousins Peter Ceasar and John Grant before they both passed away. Murl loved being with these two cousins. Family and neighbors loved to see these three men go fishing, because they knew at the end of the day, the whole neighborhood was going to get free fish and crabs.

If you knew Murl you know that he loved to talk smack. He spent hours on his porch shooting the breeze with neighbors and he spent time talking on the phone to one of his favorite cousins, Anna Lee Gantt and his sister-in-law Sarah Deal both from South Carolina.

To keep himself on that straight path he would call his two sisters Virginia and Myrtle for advice, and for that peaceful and calm insight he would turn to his brother Clarence.

People of all ages gathered at the Newton house and to all that knew him, family and friends he threw one hell of a backyard cookout, and him the main chef. Ribs were his specialty.

To a man that wore many hats (Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Father-In-Law, Neighbor and Friend) and to a man that also carried a lot of nick names, from all of us we will always love you and miss you.

Murl Newton Jr. leaves behind to mourn his passing five of his six children; Duron, Marion, Marian (Margie), Sandra and Larry. Thirteen grandchildren, Antoine Bernard (Bernie), Charron, Tameika, LaKesha, Jamel, Joy, Jerome, Jermira, Shadae, Joshua, Daniel, Hannah, Matthew; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Myrtle Newton and Virginia Newton; one brother, Clarence Edward Newton; one daughter-in-law, Cecilie Newton; two sons-in-law Alonzo Rice of Connecticut, and Tony Quaye of Hutto, Texas; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins; three sisters-in-law, Barbara Newton, of Brooklyn, NY and Sarah Deal of Walterboro, SC and Mary Newton of Brooklyn, NY and many friends.

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