John M. Newlands

Madison, Wisc. / Hartford, Conn. - John Mars Newlands died on Thursday, May 27, 2010, at St. Mary's Care Center in Madison. He was born on July 29, 1918 in Hartford, Connecticut to James Andrew and Alice Cary Newlands.

John served in World War II in the US Army as a Staff Sergeant. He used his education in Mathematics and German from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) as a Radio Traffic Analyst and supervised a team of 28 cryptographers in analyzing, decoding and reporting about the German radio traffic. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, which is awarded on a selective basis to a soldier who distinguishes themselves from among fellow soldiers by their exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity.

After World War II, he returned to Hartford to marry his beloved wife Theodora (""Teddy"") and began working at the Hartford Fire Insurance Company as an underwriter. He eventually became the manager of State and Local Tax Accounting for the Hartford until his retirement in 1978.

John always loved traveling and especially loved caves, waterfalls and other natural phenomena. He enjoyed body-surfing and spent many summers in Myrtle Beach SC where he said the beach topography made the waves ""perfect"" for his favorite pastime. He especially enjoyed surprising his family with vacations that he planned secretly.

He also loved music, specifically close-harmony a capella ""vocal jazz"" in the style of the Hi-Los and Singers Unlimited. He formed an ad-hoc quartet while serving in World War II and sang for civilians and other soldiers at every opportunity. In addition to his membership in The Choral Club of Hartford, he was the President of the Executive Committee of The Choral Club of Hartford, and he also formed a quartet called ""The Loafers"" when he returned to civilian life. The Loafers expanded to a larger group he called The Spare Parts. He acted as director and lead arranger for the Spare Parts, who sang for charity events and concerts in the Connecticut area, until shortly before he moved to Madison in 1999.

John lived independently (and continued to travel) until he entered St. Mary's Care Center in October 2008. He was a popular patient at St. Mary's and his sense of humor, wit and sometimes mischievous behavior endeared him to the staff and many other patients. John was a loving husband and father. He died peacefully with family close by.

John is survived by his children, Robert Cary Newlands of Hartford, Connecticut, Margaret Newlands Dube of Ware Shoals, South Carolina and Janet Newlands of Madison, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his wife, Theodora Newcomb Bartley Newlands, on March 3, 1995; and his brother, James B. Newlands, on November 5, 2003.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society or any other charity that assists animals in need.