McCracken County Commissioner Jerry Beyer, who worked with Newberry on the McCracken County Fiscal Court for years, says Newberry was a good friend who was a pleasure to work with. Beyer noted several of Newberry's accomplishments while in office.
"He was very energetic in economic development. He was the person who made the Murray State Campus Building possible. It was his insight and leadership that put that package together. He was also very instrumental in helping set up the scholarship program for McCracken County seniors. He wanted to make sure that children who graduate from high school have at least two years of either a technical or college education." Beyer said.
Beyer said that during the 2009 ice storm that devastated local infrastructure Newberry worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of everyone in the county, making sure every door was knocked on and all residents were ok.
"He literally worked 24 hours a day," Beyer said. "He would go from the emergency operations center out to the road department, back and forth just trying to see that all the people in the county were taken care of."
Beyer said Newberry always strived to help the people of McCracken County, without trying to take all the credit for what got done.
"He was easy to work with. There were a lot of projects that happened, but he wasn't the person who always wanted to stand in the front and take credit. Everything that he did was to help the citizens of this county. Beyer said.
Judge Executive Bob Leeper said Newberry had a passion for roads and public safety, and his background as an engineer was very helpful with those types of projects.
"He was always dedicated to public safety and roads. I think he will always be remembered for his commitment to transportation and public safety, along with a number of other things." Leeper said.
Leeper said there is a lot of sadness in the air at the McCracken County courthouse, as many who worked closely with Newberry for years struggle to come to terms with the news of his death.
"There's definitely a cloud over the courthouse today," Leeper said. "A lot of people who worked with him for a number of years are very saddened by the loss, and the suddenness of it just amplifies that. Hopefully it will give people some comfort that he is well thought of and remembered for all the efforts he made to make McCracken County better."
Visitation and funeral arrangements are set for Tuesday at the Luther F. Carson Center. Visitation is from 4 to 7 pm. The service is at 7 pm. Graveside services will be at 10 am on Wednesday at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bandana.
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