Bill Newsom, 90, passed away in the early morning of Aug 2, 2023, while in hospice care at the Mount San Antonio Gardens Retirement Community in Pomona, CA.
Bill was born in Whittier on May 20, 1933, to Irene and Vernon Newsom. Bill grew up on the family citrus farm in Santa Fe Springs, CA. He attended Whittier High School (Class of 1951) and went on to Whittier College and USC for his Business degrees. In Aug 1957, he married Margaret (Peggy) Parker of Alhambra and had three children; Jay, Janna, and Jon. Bill spent a full career in the Grocery Business in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Bill and Peggy spent their lifetime together in Whittier raising their 3 children.
Development of the 605 Freeway would route it through the middle of the Newsom Family Farm in Santa Fe Springs. In March 1956, Vernon Newsom purchased a 48-acre Avocado and Citrus farm on Telegraph Road in Fillmore, on the property now occupied by the Mountain View Apartments and the Bridges Housing Development.
After Bill’s retirement and the death of his father, he assumed operations on the family farm in Fillmore. Every week (Monday thru Wednesday) Bill would drive from his home in Whittier to Newsom Ranch. In 2001, housing developers acquired the Newsom Ranch property and Bill subsequently purchased a 45-acre citrus farm “across the Santa Clara River” on Guiberson Road; home to Newsom Ranch today.
In addition to farming, Bill remained active throughout his lifetime; boating, camping, RVing, water skiing, snow skiing, tennis, pickle ball, and extensive travel around the globe with wife Peggy.
Bill loved his farm and his Fillmore home 3-days a week. It was his getaway every week. He looked forward every morning to sharing coffee with “the locals” at AgRx; this is where you get the local scoop and solve the world’s issues every morning. Every 2nd Monday of the month, Bill looked forward to sharing dinner and stories at Fillmore Club. He would rarely miss a Fillmore Club dinner. So many more Fillmore experiences can be shared which comforted him to the end of his life journey. Bill remarked at the end that “he lived a good long life with no regrets”. A life well led indeed.
The family of Bill Newsom thanks the good people of Fillmore for welcoming him as one of your own on his 3-day getaway to Newsom Ranch every week.