May 25, 1943–August 6, 2026
Louise Newton Witherspoon, 83, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2026 in Mathews, Va. Born in South Charleston, West Virginia on May 25, 1943 to Edward and Dorothy Newton, Louise and her family moved to Old Greenwich, Connecticut, when she was five years old. She graduated from Greenwich High School and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University in 1965, where she met future husband Dr. John Michael Witherspoon. Mike reached out to buy a sailboat her father was selling and then talked Louise into giving him sailing lessons. They were married for 59 years until he passed away last year. Their married life took them to Scotland, Minneapolis, Boston and then Richmond where they resided for over 30 years. After taking a break to raise her family, Louise returned to nursing and ended her professional career as a diabetes educator. In retirement she and Mike moved full-time to their beloved home on Tabbs Creek in Port Haywood.
Louise became active in the local community, attending Board of Supervisors and School Board meetings and volunteering at Hand Across Mathews where she took joy in greeting dozens of people by name each week. She organized book donations for first graders, planted thousands of daffodil bulbs around town and sent weekly photographs of flowers to the Gazette-Journal. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church, Bay Area Quilters, a book club and a special group of fellow artists and nature lovers known as flower campers. Louise was at home in nature and loved watching birds and butterflies, often opening up their farm property to other birdwatchers. She loved to learn and was a talented artist, quilter, seamstress, gardener, photographer and cook. Louise was a proud NAACP member, known for her quiet but steady commitment to social justice, standing up for causes important to her heart. She was extremely well read, loved poetry, and was a brilliant conversationalist. She embodied warmth, curiosity, acceptance and generosity, always thinking of others.
Louise is survived by her daughter, Katherine (Eric Hardiman) and son, Jeffrey (Laura); brother, Joseph Newton (Shirley); sisters-in- law, Judy Anderson and Martha Kelley (Dennis); six grandchildren, Eleanor, Claire, Graham, Adeline, Ava and Amelia, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband; parents; brother-in-law, James, and nieces, Jenny and Lynn.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Visiting Angels, staff at Riverside Lifelong Health Mathews, and Riverside Hospice for their compassionate care.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to Hands Across Mathews, P.O. Box 1303, Mathews, Va. 23109, or a charity of your choice.