Alice Gloria Newman passed away peacefully on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Foothills Country Hospice near Okotoks, Alberta. She was 79 years old.
Born in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, on July 5, 1946, to Andrew and Pearl Kindrachuk, Alice spent her early years at Crooked River, and nearly her entire life rooted in the prairie communities she loved. After earning her teaching certificate, she taught school in Kelvington and Tisdale before marrying Winston Newman on August 3, 1968, at St. Paul’s United Church in Tisdale.
Together, Alice and Winston built a life on the family farm near Eldersley, grounded in hard work, faith, hospitality, and deep devotion to family. They raised three children — Wendy, Laura, and Tavis — while building a home that became a gathering place for relatives, neighbours, friends, grandchildren, and countless coffee visits over the years. Music, dancing, camping, card games, and shared meals with family and friends were among the simple joys that filled their lives together.
Alice poured herself into caring for others. She was a homemaker and caregiver in the fullest sense of the words. Her greatest joy was her family, especially her grandchildren, whose lives and activities she followed closely and lovingly.
She had a gift for creating beauty. Her flowerbeds on the farm were legendary — overflowing with colour, carefully tended, and admired by everyone who visited. She loved gardening, reading, music, taking photographs, arranging albums and scrapbooks full of memories, and learning to play piano later in life. Alice also took great pride in her Ukrainian heritage, especially through cooking, family traditions, community gatherings, and always making sure nobody left hungry.
Alice was known for her love of playing cards—especially Kaiser. Whether around a kitchen table or at a picnic table while camping, she loved the laughter and companionship the game brought — and she always kept an eye out for that elusive five of hearts.
Faith remained an important part of Alice’s life throughout the years. She was a longtime member of St. Paul’s United Church in Tisdale, where she was active in UCW, worship and Christian education committees, and Women’s Fellowship.
In the final months of her illness, Alice was surrounded by the steady love and presence of her family, who spent treasured time with her in the days, weeks, and months leading up to her passing.
Alice is lovingly remembered by her children Wendy & Murray Anhorn, Laura & Ryan Melin, and Tavis & Chryslyn Newman; and by her cherished grandchildren Tate, Isaac, Seth and Cassia Anhorn; Caleb, Chloe and Jenevieve Melin; and Aleksander and Maverik Newman.
She is also survived by her younger sister Mary Stachniak, brother-in-law Jim Varga, along with many nieces and nephews, as well as cousins of Winston.
She was predeceased by her husband Winston Newman; her parents Andrew and Pearl Kindrachuk; her brother Walter Kindrachuk; her sisters Olga Wasylyk, Sophie Varga, Sylvia Kindrachuk, Natalie Rowley, and Emily Lee; her nieces Marilyn Rowley and Shelley Cojocar; and grand-nephew Jeremy Cojocar.
In her own words, written for her family:
“Be happy. Sometimes it’s easy to dwell on the bad times — don’t.
Love — to the extreme, as much as you can, especially the little ones. They soak it up.
Family should always come first, ahead of all else.
My joys were always greatest when doing things for you. I thrived on it.”
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date in Lethbridge, Alberta. Interment will take place next to Winston at Mountain View Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make donations in Alice’s memory to the Canadian Cancer Society, Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, Foothills Country Hospice, St. Paul’s United Church in Tisdale, or McKillop United Church in Lethbridge.