Obituary of Roy Newcome, Jr.

Roy Newcome, Jr., 98, of Columbia, South Carolina passed away on October 2, 2023. He was born September 5, 1925 in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Roy and Bertha Viola Hall Newcome. After graduation from Lafayette High School, he attended the Navy's accelerated V-12 training program at Berea College, Kentucky and served as a junior officer in the Pacific (Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii) during World War II aboard the Landing Ship Dock U.S.S. San Marcos.

He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Master’s Degree in Geology, his thesis titled Kyanite at Henry Knob, South Carolina. He was employed as both a geologist and hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey for 32 years, working with the groundwater resources of Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and California with numerous publications to his credit. Among his challenging and rewarding experiences was helping NASA locate a sufficient water supply for testing Saturn rockets at the Mississippi Test Facility in Bay St. Louis.

He retired from the USGS while at Menlo Park, California and returned to South Carolina for retirement with his wife, only to take up 25 more years of service part-time with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, involved with groundwater studies. He retired, also, as a Lt. Commander in the Naval Reserve.

He was preceded in death by his wife and sweetheart of 71 years, Nancy Horton Newcome of Kershaw County; a son, Retired USAF Lt. Col. Laurence Roe Newcome; his parents; and brother, William (Bill) Newcome. He is survived by a daughter, Ramona Shepherd (Rick); four grandchildren: Graham Shepherd (Anita), Wesley Newcome (Ali), Ryan Newcome, and Laura Newcome (Vincent); daughter-in-law, Carrie McCauley Newcome; and three great-grandchildren—twins, Nithya and Soniya Shepherd of North Carolina and Claudine Newcome of Virginia.

He loved camping, taking his family across the country from New England to Colorado, New Mexico, and California with forays into Canada. He imparted to his children a love of nature, particularly trees, wildlife, and rocks and minerals with a fondness for their identification. He leaves a rich legacy, both professionally and in cherished memories.

The family would like to thank the many caregivers at NHC for their four years of service on his behalf.

A visitation will take place at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia SC, 29209 on Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 11:00AM.  A graveside service will follow the family visitation at Greenlawn Memorial Park.