Jay Michael Newberger, '55, passed away on August 8, 2023 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Lifetime Member.Jay Michael Newberger died in peace Tuesday, August 8 at home, in the loving presence of his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Visitation with the family present will be from 4 to 6 pm on Friday, August 11, 2023, at Miller Funeral Home, 507 South Main Avenue. A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at St. Therese Catholic Church with burial at the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Hinton, IA. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed at https://youtube.com/live/rE473HWD5dw
He was born February 10, 1936 as the first of two sons to George Michael Newberger and Margaret Isabelle (McDowell) Newberger in Yankton, SD
Jay briefly entered foster care as a toddler before spending the next 8 years at Presentation Children’s Home in Sioux Falls. Despite some challenges, Jay shared many happy stories of orphanage life under the care of Mother Patanella and Mother Carmel and in the company of other boys and girls, some of whom he would know for the rest of his life. At age 12, Jay moved to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska where he lived until his high school graduation. At Boys Town, he was reunited with his younger brother, James. Jay often spoke of the consistent love and support of his paternal grandmother, Louise A. Hansen and the life changing support and guidance of Monsignor Francis Schmitt at Boys Town. While there, Jay was a member of the world renowned Boys Town Choir, played tennis and basketball and was involved in all levels of student government, including being elected Mayor of Boys Town his senior year.
Following graduation, Jay served four years in the Air Force. He sustained a serious back injury from a knife wound coming to the aid of a friend and fellow airman who was killed in an altercation. This injury would impact Jay’s health and mobility for the rest of his life. Rather than choose a medical discharge, Jay accepted an assignment to SAC headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha for the remainder of his active duty and started night school at the University of Omaha. Continuing his studies at Sioux Falls College and the University of South Dakota, Jay earned multiple undergraduate and master’s degrees during the next 17 years.
Jay returned to Boys Town at the end of active duty first as a camp counselor at Lake Okoboji and then as a fulltime counselor at Boys Town. During this time, he met a beautiful nurse and Missouri Synod Lutheran Iowa farm girl who would be his devoted wife for the next 61 years. Jay credits Norma for everything good that he would experience the rest of this life. Together they built a home and a family that would grow to include three children.
Jay committed every day of his professional career to protecting and providing for the needs of society’s most vulnerable members, its children. In Sioux Falls, he worked as a Minnehaha County Court Services Officer until serving as the first Director and Court Referee for the Juvenile Detention Center. When the state court system organized into the current Unified Court System under Governor Dick Kniep, Jay served as the first Director of Court Services for the South Dakota Supreme Court in Pierre. Jay worked tirelessly for the next 24 years to increase the standards and accountability of all agencies providing services to youth in the court’s care. He lobbied for necessary appropriations for the court’s programs in the state legislature each year, developed training and accountability standards for all court staff, identified the need for and contributed to the creation of the first mental health services for juveniles and improved the overall standards of care for all children in the state’s guardianship. He served more than 45 community, state and national boards, commissions and compacts throughout his career. He was a nationally recognized and respected leader in juvenile justice and counseled many states who were working to reorganize their own state court. Additionally, Jay served as Faculty or Presenter at dozens of seminars over the years and was an adjunct instructor for South Dakota public universities for 26 years. Of his numerous awards and recognitions, some career highlights included attending the Institute of Court Management program two summers with his family in Aspen, Colorado, and being elected by his class to present to United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Berger and being elected to the Board of Governors for the American Corrections Association. Receiving an honorary PhD for Public Service from the University of South Dakota presented by his life-long friend, Dr. Don Dahlin, was a capstone experience for Jay.
While in Pierre, Jay was able to foster his love of sailing, first ignited during his time as a young boy at Boys Town camp. Jay and Norma could be found on the shores of Lake Oahe most summer weekends, enjoying a sail and the company of their friends in the Oahe Yacht Club, where he twice served as Commodore. They were generous hosts to many extended family members helping to foster a love of sailing in them too. After retirement to Sioux Falls, Jay and Norma purchased a lake property on West Lake Okoboji very near his beloved Boys Town camp. For the next 20 years they spent every summer weekend there. Jay indulged his children and grandchildren in every way possible creating lake traditions they could remember and treasure for their lifetimes. Jay was fond of saying, “Every other generation!” when touting the successes of his grandchildren and enjoyed any opportunity he had to share their accomplishments and attend their many events. He was adored by his two great grandchildren who always entered his home exclaiming, “Pop Pop!” Jay was a voracious reader; leaving Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court and Rising Star, Setting Sun unfinished at his passing. Despite his many interests and passions, Jay had no greater love than for his family and for having been a Boys Town boy. Everything Jay did was marked by his faith, his high standard for excellence, his belief in personal accountability, and his life-long thirst for knowledge and understanding. In addition to his love and devotion to them, these are Jay’s everlasting gifts and legacy for his family.
Jay was preceded in death by his parents and brother, sister in law Phyllis Olgesby, and sister and brother in law Lee and Alice Lambert. He is survived by his wife, Norma; daughter Michele Weber (Roger); son Michael Newberger (Ruth); daughter Elizabeth Magill (Brooke); grandchildren Dustin Newberger; Zachary Weber (Whitney); Ashton Ekdom (Dane); Derek Newberger; Lauren Weber; Gabby Magill (Debbi); Greyson Magill; Gavin Magill and great-grandchildren Emerson Ekdom and Leo Ekdom. He is also survived by 15 nieces and nephews.
Jay’s family is grateful for the attentive care of the VA Hospital staff and primary care team. There aren’t words enough to express their gratitude to each member of the staff of Tiezen Memorial Center who completely changed for the good the trajectory of his care and last days. His family is also very thankful for the guidance and education provided by Aseracare Hospice Care. Special thanks also to Father Paul Rutten, Father Kevin O’Dell and Pastor Aron Asmus.
Jay requests that in lieu of flowers, a memorial be considered for the benefit of Boys Town at support.boystown.org