Michael “Mike” Garry Newell passed away on March 11, 2026, in Baylor Scott & White Centennial Hospital, Frisco, Texas, at the age of 75. He was born January 22, 1951 to Leland Louie Newell and Erika Liane Lieshoff, in Manchester, Connecticut. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survived by his spouse of 51 years, Linda Carol Martin Newell, and beloved sister Deborah “Debi” Newell Wist and her husband Michael “Brick” Brickwedde, nephew Michael Palomba, cousin Robert “Bob” Newell and cousin Dorothy “Dottie” Newell Ness and husband Rick Ness.

Michael graduated from Lake Worth High School in Lake Worth, Florida; obtained a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Ambassador College, Big Sandy, Texas; M.S. in Educational Media and Technology from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce) Commerce, TX; a diploma in Master’s Course in Microcomputers and Microprocessors from NRI Correspondence School; and various courses and certificates related to his insurance company employments.

From an early age, where ever Mike was, there was music. His parents loved all genres of music which Mike absorbed. He taught himself guitar, was a member of a rock band playing paying gigs while in high school, and was a drum major for Lake Worth H.S. He began his college education pursuing a music degree to chase his dream of orchestrating and arranging music. Mike developed the special ability to notate by ear. He subsequently combined music and Christianity while at Ambassador College, playing, singing and recording with a group of other amazing musicians, which time he relished the rest of his life. He also toured as a singer in a music ensemble supporting Garner Ted Armstrong ministry events. After Ambassador College, and with his degree from ETSU, he worked for Texas Woman’s University-Presbyterian Dallas campus as an audio-visual technician. Later he moved on to corporate insurance working as a claims adjuster, an administrative assistant to a life agent, and an advertising media coordinator for a life insurance company. However, whatever church he attended, Mike was always in the music ministry and often helped with audio visual needs and productions. One of Mike’s funniest achievements was emceeing a church talent show using ventriloquism and puppets. While Mike could play many instruments, his favorite was bass guitar.

Other pastimes of Mike’s were following professional baseball, reading comic strips and contributing to the Comics Curmudgeon blog, working crossword puzzles, and reading action and adventure novels. As a kid, it was little league and drawing comics with his best friend Jay, and reading to his little sister. As a teen, he enjoyed being part of the Civil Air Patrol, rising to the rank of captain.