Kathy Swan Newell

Kathy Swan Newell of Lakeway, Texas, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away on April 1, 2024, at the age of 78. Kathy was born on September 23, 1945, to Raymond Christian and Bettye Swan (Lockmiller) Hellman in Harlingen, Texas. In 1950, her mother remarried David Carter Perkins, and in 1957, the family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. Kathy’s last name was legally changed to Perkins in 1958. In 1960, the family relocated to San Juan, Texas, where Kathy attended and graduated from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School in 1964. Afterward, she attended Texas A&I University, where she met the love of her life, James Lester “Jimmy” Newell from Robstown, Texas. They married in 1967 and enjoyed 54 years of love and companionship.

In 1968, Kathy and Jimmy moved to San Antonio and had two children, Chris and Candy. While raising her young children, Kathy obtained her real estate license and sold real estate for Century 21. In 1977, the family moved to Austin, where she became actively involved in her local community— serving on the board and as an employee of the Travis Country Homeowners Association. Her proudest accomplishment stemming from those efforts was leading the charge to install a traffic light at the intersection of Highway 290 and Travis Country Boulevard following a series of accidents. Shortly thereafter, Kathy began her career in banking and securities administration— first at the Interfirst Bank Oak Hill and later moving downtown to the bank in the “big black building” at 6th and Congress, which Kathy liked to say, “changed names so many times the sign was held up with Velcro.” In the early 1990s, Kathy worked for CUNA Mutual in Dallas and then finished her career dedicating 13 years to Partners Financial (later NFP Securities) in Austin. She was a woman of high standards: hardworking, highly organized, good with numbers, reliable, always on time, and steadfast in her efforts. She enjoyed her work and made many friends along the way.

Aside from her professional life, Kathy was a loving, devoted, and proud mother and grandmother. She attended countless games, dance competitions, recitals, and swim meets both as a fan and volunteer. She was an active member of St. David’s Episcopal Church for over 40 years, where she taught Sunday school, served on the Grant Committee, delivered flowers, worked at Next to New, and attended her beloved Prime Timers events. In celebration of St. David’s 175th anniversary, Kathy joined a group of fellow parishioners on a pilgrimage to Wales last fall.

Kathy had an adventurous spirit and was always on the go. She and Jimmy were avid travelers and loved to share pictures, souvenirs, and memories from their trips. She loved the beach and enjoyed many trips with her children and grandchildren to the beaches of Port Aransas, South Padre, and Florida. She had a bucket list a mile long at which she slowly and resolutely chipped away. Kathy never backed down from a challenge and was full of surprises – like the time she went skydiving on a family trip to South Padre, the time she took the stage for the Lakeway Player’s production of “Red Velvet Cake Wars,” and the time she learned to belly dance. Kathy loved to read and enjoyed her friends in her Lakeway book club. She was also an avid fan of UT sports and attended games whenever she could. Like the rest of her family, she was a devout patron of Matt’s El Rancho, where she looked forward to an El Rancho Salad with sliced avocado and a frozen margarita.

Although we will miss Kathy’s generous heart, adventurous spirit, and infectious laugh, we are comforted knowing she has been reunited with Jimmy, and together they are dancing on the beaches of Heaven. Kathy is survived by her son, Lester Christian Newell and his significant other Amy, of Midland, Texas; daughter, Candace Newell Lambdin and her husband, William “T” of Lakeway, Texas; five adoring grandchildren: Cade (wife Whitney) and Jake Newell, and Libby, Maggie, and Billy Lambdin; half-sister, Nancy Bettersworth (husband Scott); half-sister Kimberly Burstein (husband Mark); half-sister Heather Hellman (wife Leslie); and half-brother Brad Hellman; as well as cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Newell; mother and stepfather, Swan and David Perkins; her stepmother and father, Priscilla and Raymond Hellman; and brother, Michael Christian Hellman Perkins.

A memorial service will take place at 11 am on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 301 E. 8th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the hard-working doctors, nurses, and staff at Ascension Seton Medical Center. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Kathy’s name to St. David’s Episcopal Church, https://www.stdave.org/support/giving/.