William Ver Planck Newlin

William V.P. Newlin died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Northwest Washington, D.C., on December 11, 2024. He was 91. Beloved for his warmth, humor, optimism, hospitality and kindness, he never lost his zest for life.

Born in Philadelphia on February 9, 1933, Newlin grew up in Wayne, attended St. Paul’s School, and graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in 1955. He served as an officer in the Army, received degrees from Harvard Business School and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and in 1961 launched a 25-year career in the Foreign Service.

Newlin served in Paris as special assistant to the economic minister, in Guatemala as a political officer during the turbulent 1960s, and in the Office of German Affairs during a period of crucial negotiations over the Berlin Wall. He served as a senior watch officer in the State Department’s Operations Center, a position involving split-second decisions about highly classified information, and was posted to Brussels on the U.S. Mission to the European Community.

He also worked on the Law of the Sea, in the Office of Benelux Affairs, and on the Canadian Desk. His final Foreign Service post was as Consul General in Nice, a role that gave him considerable autonomy and satisfaction.

After a stint as a mediator in the District of Columbia court system, he then started a second career as a writer and teacher. He taught writing at the University of the District of Columbia; Bard College; and the College of the Atlantic, where he also served more than two decades as an active board member, and remained a life member.

Newlin also left a lasting mark on the Newlin Grist Mill in Glenn Mills, Pa., which was built by his ancestors in 1704 and revived by his parents as a park and historic site in the mid-20th century. He served as a founding trustee and longtime executive trustee of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, which has operated the Mill for historic and open space preservation, education and recreation for more than five decades.

He wrote a popular guidebook to the freshwater gems of Mount Desert Island, Maine, “The Lakes and Ponds of Mount Desert,” published first in 1989 by Down East Books and released in a second edition in 2013 as the first volume published by College of the Atlantic Press. He also published a memoir titled “Drunk at the State Department,” that chronicled his longtime struggle with drinking and the epiphany that gave him the gift of sobriety 35 years ago.

An outdoorsman and naturalist, he loved fishing, gardening, and boating. His sailing adventures included a five-month solo cruise in the Caribbean while on leave from the Foreign Service, and two cruises on the Norwegian tall ship the Christian Radich—one a race from Gdansk to St. Petersburg, where his ship won first place, the other a transatlantic crossing to celebrate his 80th birthday.

He also trod the boards on neighborhood, community and regional stages, threw pots as a hobby, was a gifted raconteur and toastmaster, took a special interest in younger generations, and loved hosting relatives and friends both in Washington, D.C., and at his summer residence on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 69 years, Louisa Foulke Newlin, and his three children and their spouses: Bill and Maureen Newlin, Nick Newlin and Joanne Flynn, and Eliza and Dan Carney. He is also survived by his sister, Lucy Bell Sellers, his three granddaughters, Louise, Nicole and Elizabeth, and by numerous nieces and nephews, relatives and friends of all ages who adored him for his generosity, compassion, laughter, and spirit of adventure.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, January 6, 2025 at 2 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, at 3001 Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the College of the Atlantic.