Autumn Delight Smith Newcomb

Autumn Delight Smith Newcomb
September 20, 1927 – June 24, 2018

Delight Newcomb, 90, of Grants Pass passed away on June 24, 2018. She was surrounded by her family who prayed and sang as she was welcomed into the arms of Jesus. It was a memorable moment as she spent her life praying for her family, friends and living her life in service to God.

The youngest of four, she was born at home on the first day of Autumn on September 20, 1927 in Union Gap, Washington. Her parents named her Autumn Delight. She grew up in a pastor’s family where her love for music was nurtured from an early age. She attended Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho where she graduated with a degree in music.

While living in Spokane, Washington where her father pastored the Church of the Nazarene, she met her loving husband Carroll Newcomb who was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. Delight’s talent on the piano and xylophone and Carroll’s on the trumpet, quickly brought them together through their common love of music. They toured and played in churches throughout the Northwest. They were married on April 5, 1952.

Delight and Carroll moved to Pasadena, California where they raised their three sons in the San Gabriel Valley – much of that time in Temple City. They were very active in their local church where they led the music program and passed on their love of music to their sons. It was while in Temple City that Delight began to work among pre-school children as a music teacher and early childhood educator.

In 1977, Delight and Carroll moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. She began teaching kindergarten at New Hope Christian School. A few years later, Delight started a kindergarten program at the Merlin Community Baptist Church. She continued as a preschool and music teacher at the River Valley Childcare Center. Hundreds of families and children from across the valley in Grants Pass have “Mrs. Newcomb” to thank for nurturing their love of music.

While she finally decided to retire this August at 90 years old, she was committed to completing her extended education courses for early childhood educators. She joked that many of her fellow students in these courses were 70 years her junior.

She was looking forward to further developing her skills as a gardener on the nearly one acre garden she loved to work in whenever possible. She was never happier than when the sun was shining and the flowers were blooming. She deeply loved her family and prayed for her children and grandchildren with daily passionate devotion.

She attended the Merlin Community Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carroll Newcomb on January 20, 2012 and earlier by her father and mother, and her three siblings. She is survived by her three sons, Warren (Gail) Newcomb, Michael (Pamala) Newcomb, Randy (Pamela) Newcomb. Seven grandchildren, Aimee (Joshua) Crouch, Jason (Rianna) Newcomb, Courtney (Patrick) Danielsen, Ryan (Larissa) Newcomb, Taylor Newcomb, Zoe (CJ) Donahoe, Cole Newcomb and seven great grandchildren.

A celebration of Delight Newcomb’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 2, 2018 at the Merlin Community Baptist Church. A private family interment at Hillcrest Memorial Park will be held.

Contributions can be made to the River Valley Childcare Center, 405 NE 6th St., Grants Pass, OR 97526