Florence Eileen Newitt

Florence Newitt, 93, died Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

Born January 30, 1926, in King’s Lynn, England, Eileen and her sister witnessed many German bomb attacks in early WWII.  While they lived outside London, where the heaviest attacks occurred, they experienced severe food rationing, government supplied foods and medicines, and light-dimming practices to “fool the bombers.” 

After high school she attended secretarial school becoming an efficient bookkeeper. After meeting her husband, Jim Newitt (now deceased), at the end of the war, the couple wed in 1947 and had 5 children. While raising the family, Eileen supported Jim through his work and study, typing his doctoral thesis in organic chemistry. When the DuPont Chemical Company hired Jim as a research chemist, the family immigrated in 1958 to Chadds Ford, PA.  There they lived for 32 years of their 71 year marriage, then in 1996 retired to central FL near daughter Anne and her husband Herman Snow.

Eileen was a talented seamstress, upholsterer, curtain maker, and needle point crafter.  She made the children’s clothes and earned income making slip covers designing curtains, and selling Avon products. She loved cooking the family’s favorite English treats such as sausage rolls, scotch eggs, trifle, shortbread, and mincemeat tarts.

Eileen is survived by sister Anne and husband Peter Martin of Fleet, UK; nephew Robert Martin, Great Kimble, UK; and her 5 children, Peter and Valerie Newitt, Audubon, PA; Terry and Roberta Newitt, Wilmington, DE; Carol and John Bryant, Reston, VA; Robin Newitt, Diamond Point, NY; Anne and Herman Snow, New Smyrna Beach, FL; 10 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren.

The memorial service is at 1:00 p.m., January 26th, 2020 at Settle-Wilder Chapel, with Kennedy Jacobs officiating. Friends will be received at 12:30 p.m. until the time of service.