Gregory Kevin Newman was born April 7, 1960 in Creston, Iowa to Merrill and Marlene Newman and older brother, Gary.  At the age of 2, he moved with the family to Aurora, Colorado where he attended Aurora Public Schools and Aurora High School.  Out of high school, Greg joined the US Army and attended boot camp in Fort Sill, OK.  Limitations from an accident as a child hindered his military service and Greg was honorably discharged, moving to Albuquerque, NM for a few years, where he was briefly married before returning to his childhood home in Aurora, Colorado.

An all-around handyman, Greg eventually made his way to Escondido, California working various jobs and seeking adventure, and was drawn to Alaska to work after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.  Greg lived in Alaska for several years helping with the oil spill clean up efforts, worked on various fishing boats, and even worked as a caretaker for an Iditarod sled dog team.  He attended an automotive technical college in Alaska before returning to his childhood home in Colorado in 1995, and was working as a talented automotive paint technician when he began branching out to other aspects of painting.  Greg found his calling as a profession house painter, establishing a successful partnership in Colorado for the next 20 years.  In 2018, Greg moved to Neodesha, Kansas where his parents were already living, and his successful painting business - Old School Painting - continued until his untimely passing in July 2026.

Everyone who knew him would tell you that Greg truly was a gentle and quiet soul who was friendly to everyone he met and never had a bad thing to say about anybody.  He enjoyed collecting NASCAR memorabilia, tinkering around in his shop, and stock-car races - cheering on his favorite NASCAR driver, Chase Elliot.  

Greg passed away peacefully in his home on July 4, 2026.  He is survived by his parents Merrill and Marlene ("Martie") Newman of Neodesha, KS and his brother, Gary Neman (and wife, Shelley) of Thayer, KS.