In Memory

Amy Newman

Obituary

Amy Suzanne Newman, Ph.D.
October 10, 1954 – January 23, 2021

Amy Newman, beloved mother, sister, sister-in-law, and friend to many, passed away peacefully at home in the company of her daughter on January 23, 2021 after battling cancer.

She was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest child of William Reece Elton Newman, M.D. and Margie Ruth Newman.

Growing up in Salt Lake City, UT, Amy was a member of the National Honor Society, played the violin in multiple school orchestras, and participated in 4- H, receiving many awards at the Salt Lake County Fair and Utah State Fair. She was also an active member of First Baptist Church. She earned a B.A. and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Utah in 1977. She earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis in 1984.

She moved to Chicago, IL in 1985. Although she was not initially enamored of Chicago, she came to love the city through its restaurants, museums, theaters, and gardens.

Amy worked at Michael Reese Hospital as Senior Psychologist and Head of Training in Clinical Psychology from 1986-1991 and then Illinois Masonic Medical Center as Clinical Psychologist and Coordinator of Extern Training and from 1991-1997. She was also an Associate Faculty member at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology from 1986-1991, a Part-Time Faculty member at Loyola University of Chicago from 1994-2003, and an Adjunct Faculty member at Roosevelt University from 1999-2003. She had a private practice as a licensed clinical psychologist until 2021.

If you asked Amy, her greatest accomplishment was raising her children, Alyssa and Miles Van Denburg. Alyssa followed in her mother’s footsteps, earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Amy was able to watch Alyssa defend her dissertation virtually last year. Miles combined his love for geography and his computer acumen and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Geographic Information Systems.

Though quiet and unassuming, Amy enjoyed experiencing new foods, places, events, and people. Through work, church, and her children’s schools, she cultivated a group of friends who remained close throughout her life. She was thoughtful, loving, and loyal to her family and friends. She was a wonderful listener. Her expertise as a clinical psychologist was reflected in her wonderful, insightful advice, if requested.

Amy gave so much but asked for so little. She was stalwart and independent. She approached her cancer with the same tenacity she showed as a single parent, balancing family and her career.

Amy is survived by her two children, her sister Anita Newman, M.D., her brother Reece Newman, M.B.A. (Tanya Noffsinger), her brother-in-law Kenneth Simpson, two nieces and five nephews and their children, many cousins, and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her sister, Linda Simpson.

A private memorial service will be held at St. Pauls United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL. She will subsequently return to her childhood home and be interred at Wasatch Lawn in Salt Lake City, UT.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Amy to St. Pauls United Church of Christ (2335 N Orchard St, Chicago, IL 60614) or Kellogg Cancer Center (2650 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

Cremation provided by Care Memorial Cremation 8230 South Harlem Avenue, Bridgeview IL 60455 and Care Cremation Center 515 Anderson Drive, Romeoville IL 60446. For more information call 866-912-9822 or visit us online at carememorialcremation.com

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Amy S. Newman, please visit our Tribute Store.



 
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04/03/21 11:31 AM #1    

Dick Flygare

Amy and I became friends in the debate program at Skyline and were colleagues for part of our senior year. Amy was exceptionally intelligent. She was also very kind, empathetic and fun. I lost contact with Amy after college, but we renewed our friendship in 1993 at our 20-year class reunion. Amy did a great deal of good in the world as a wise counselor, therapist, mother and friend. She will be greatly missed. 


04/04/21 12:38 PM #2    

Martin Calderwood

Rest in Peace my friend


04/04/21 01:27 PM #3    

Jerilyn Kuhre

Upon seeing the post about Amy's death, I was stunned. I felt a pang in the pit of my stomach and tears welled up in my eyes. I immediately chastised myself for not keeping in touch with her better. Procrastination really stings!

She was a quiet, still-waters-run-deep kind of person. Never one to brag about her accomplishments, an uniformed acquaintance might take her at her self-deprecating word, but that would be a mistake. A quality of hers - even more than her brilliance - was her great capacity to listen to others' feelings and ideas. She went into the right profession, even though she chuckled about it once with me, as though it were a minor achievement to find the right fit for a life's profession.

In high school, she was a role model, but she was so stellar that she was out of my league; I could only look up to her. For me, if Amy thought something was a good idea, I was all in. Form a women's baketball group and reserve courts at the U of U - ? Sure! We managed to get together to play games for a number of months. Few of us could even make baskets, but it was a different kind of activity for studious high school girls. We took advantage of it, too, as a good excuse afterward to go downtown to have lunch at Shakespeare's Sandwich Shoppe every once in a while.

I can't say I will miss her on a personal level, because I haven't been involved in her life for so many years. But I can assume that her physical absence in the universe will deeply affect many. These words would probably make Amy smile shyly, as if to shrug it off as no big deal, but no matter, because it is true. I can see her face  now, always beautiful, and beautifully understated.


04/13/21 05:03 PM #4    

June Ling

I'm so saddened to hear of Amy's passing. She and I were in the Red Cross Club, and orchestra together. She was one of the few people I could call a friend. I'm sorry I lost touch with her. 


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