Fonda Newton

Fonda Newton, of Haskell, Texas, died peacefully surrounded by her family at Hendrick Hospice Care Facility on December 26, 2025. She was born on July 16, 1960, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated from Temple High School in 1978 and went on to graduate with a degree in education from Abilene Christian University in 1982. Fonda married Phillip Newton on December 17, 1983, in Abilene, Texas and they had three children together.

Fonda dedicated more than three decades to education, teaching school from 1982 until her retirement in 2016. She taught students all over Haskell County in Rochester, Haskell, and Rule. One of her greatest points of pride was that her two daughters followed in her footsteps and also became educators.

Music was one of Fonda’s greatest joys and a gift she loved to share with others. She loved playing guitar and singing, often sharing her beautiful voice at area nursing homes, Sagerton HeeHaw, Old Glory Dance, and other gatherings throughout the community. She had a special gift for harmony and a way of bringing people together through song. In her quieter moments, she enjoyed sewing and quilting, and she treasured spending time with her grandchildren above all else. She was the best Grammy!

She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Phillip Newton; her brothers, Greg Fenn and Byron Fenn; her children, Kerri and Charlie Dayment, Lauren and Trenton Tidwell, and David Newton; and her grandchildren, Liam and Weston Dayment, and Parker, Graham, and Waylon Tidwell.

Fonda will be remembered for her gentle and spunky spirit, her love of music, and the joy she shared with all she came in contact with.

A celebration of life is scheduled for Tuesday, December 30th at 10:00am, at the Haskell Performing Arts Center under the direction of Smith Family Funeral Homes, Haskell. There will be a reception and time to visit with the family immediately following the service.

The family would like to thank the loving staff at the Hendrick Hospice Center in Abilene for the care and support they provided for Fonda during her final weeks. Their kindness and compassion were a blessing to Fonda and her family. Memorials can be made to Hendrick Hospice Care. https://www.hendrickhealth.org/services/hospice-care/give-now/