S. Newman Darby

The Father of Windsurfing S. Newman Darby, of St. Johns, Florida, born in Wilkes-Barre, PA on January 31, 1928, passed peacefully at home in the company of his loving family on December 3, 2016, at the age of 88. He was predeceased by his parents, Sidney Newman Darby, Sr. and Alice Mae Zeisloft, and brother Kenneth (Nancy) Darby. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Naomi Albrecht Darby; younger brother Ron (Millie) Darby; sisters-in-law Gail George and Dianne (Michael) McAnney; and daughters Cindy Darby (Ed) Tucker, and Wendy Darby Brown; and grandson Riley Dale Brown. He is also lovingly survived and remembered by nieces and nephews: Julie (David) Larson; Jinny (Bill) Braden; Jarmila Darby; Ron (Nancy) Darby; Kenneth (Jackie) Darby; Larry (Chrissy) Darby; Tom (Teresa) Darby; David (Jen) Darby; Daniel (Sherry) Darby; Mark (Lori) George; Tracey (Gene) O’Day; Chris (Alicia) McAnney; Michele (Paul) Forlenza; Ryan (Jill) McAnney; and Meighan McAnney; and many great nieces, great nephews and countless extended family and true friends. Originally from the Susquehanna River Valley and Bear Creek Mountain area of Pennsylvania, self-employed as a sign artist, he dedicated his spare time to boat building and inventions. He was also known as the family’s free-spirit, and an extremely fun and whimsical father and uncle. He met his loving wife, Naomi, while engaging in many common interests including free-lance photography and boating; they married in 1964. While he built many innovative watercraft beginning in the 1940’s, he is most widely renowned for inventing Windsurfing (which he fondly referred to in earlier years as Sailboarding) in 1964. Windsurfing has been an Olympic sport since 1984. Naomi sewed his sails, and he built dozens of boat hulls from wood and fiber glass in their garage. They moved to Florida in 1984 due to the couple’s passion for water sports and boating, where he enjoyed boating comradery with sailors at the Rudder Club and JAWS (Jacksonville Association of Windsurfers). He and Naomi worked tirelessly to launch the sport of Windsurfing, developing training classes, building simulators, participating in boat shows and enjoyed watching the sport take flight. He traveled throughout the U.S, Germany, Canada and Switzerland promoting Windsurfing and the free sail system and lectured at the Smithsonian Institution (National Museum of American History, Lemelson Center) when a display honoring his innovation and spirit of continual improvement opened in 1999. Through retirement he actively engaged in boat design, teaching boat building at the local community college in the evenings. Newman and Naomi retired from their riverfront home in Jacksonville, FL to St. Johns, FL to be closer to family. Newman’s creative spirit, and ever-evolving love of tinkering with engineering and invention will endure in many museums and the hearts of his loved ones. Services honoring and celebrating his adventurous life journey will be held at Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home, 11801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32223, on December 28th, 2016 at 10:00 am. Scattering of ashes will commence in January honoring his birthday, privately with family.