Richard France Newcomer

Richard France Newcomer, 73, died unexpectedly at his home near Ruffin, N.C. on June 24, 2025.

There will be no formal service.

Rick was born August 8, 1951, in Spartanburg, S.C. to Dorothy France Newcomer and Richard Seyler Newcomer. He was the eldest of three children and spent the first ten years of his life growing up in rural Lancaster County, PA. Later the family moved to the small college town of Buies Creek, N.C. for four years before finally settling in Spartanburg, S.C. Rick graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1969 where he lettered in tennis. He attended the Spartanburg Branch of the University of South Carolina for two years before transferring to Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. He graduated from Guilford College in 1973 with a BA in history and remained in the Greensboro area for the rest of his life.

From an early age, Rick was an avid reader with a particular interest in history. Over a lifetime of reading, he acquired a wide and varied store of knowledge not only of history but the natural world as well. He had a love of outdoor activities, particularly hiking and canoeing, both of which grew out of his time at Guilford College where he was an active member of the Biophile Club and where he formed several lifelong friendships. Over the years, Rick hiked many miles, including long stretches on the Appalachian Trail from N.C. all the way through to the trail's end in Maine. He and his lifetime partner, Lucy M. Berry ran the rapids of many of N.C.'s white-water rivers as well as taking extended canoe camping trips in the Boundary Water Wilderness Areas of Minnesota and Canada, the Florida Everglades, and the coasts of both North and South Carolina. In their 50 plus years together as a couple, Rick and Lucy had many an outdoor adventure together experiencing many of America's beautiful wild spots.

Most of his working life, Rick worked building things made of wood. He started in construction framing houses, moved on to work for a cabinet maker in Greensboro, before finally setting up his own business, Newcomer Custom Furniture in 1996. which he and Lucy Berry ran together until closing the shop in 2017.

Rick was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy and Richard Newcomer, as well as his brother Keith. He is survived by his partner in life, Lucy Mary Berry, to whom he was devoted, his sister Kim Newcomer, and his nephew Landon Newcomer. He will be missed greatly by all who loved him and knew him for the kind-hearted gentle soul he was. May he rest in peace.