Mt. Pleasant woman traveled abroad, helped travelers at home
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When her husband was being shifted around the world during his time as an Air Force radar operator, Adeline Newell got used to traveling.
After they returned home, she was the one helping travelers during two decades as a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll collector, mostly at the Donegal interchange.
“She worked there while I was in high school,” said her son, Ken Newell of Richmond, Va. “She’d always talk with the state police that came and went during her downtime, and she’d come home and tell us about accidents and mishaps that happened on the turnpike.”
Adeline Marie Rega Newell of Mt. Pleasant died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. She was 90.
Mrs. Newell was born Feb. 19, 1928, in Mt. Pleasant, daughter of the late Jerry and Carmela Caroleo Rega. Her parents were both first-generation Italian immigrants from the Calabria and Napoli regions of southern Italy.
“She was great at making ravioli, and there was a beef stew she’d always make when I came to visit,” Ken Newell said. “She loved to cook and crochet.”
Mrs. Newell was a 1946 graduate of Ramsay High School. She met her husband, the late Kenneth M. Newell, while she was working the counter at the former Burns Drug Store on Main Street in Mt. Pleasant. The couple was married on May 12, 1951.
Mrs. Newell’s husband was a World War II and Korean War veteran, and his job took the family across the globe.
“We lived in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area, we lived in New Jersey, and then in the early ’60s we were in Germany for three or four years,” Ken Newell said. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were able to see quite a bit of Germany: the castles and some of the beautiful landscapes.”
While in Europe, Mrs. Newell also had a chance to travel to southern Italy and visit some of her relatives.
Mrs. Newell was a member of St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, as well as a member of The Retired Enlisted Association Chapter 98 Auxiliary.
In her free time, Mrs. Newell enjoyed cooking and crocheting.
“Up until the most recent years, she enjoyed going to bingo and occasional trips to Wheeling to play penny slots,” Ken Newell said. “She was a kind-hearted person, although at times she could be pretty stubborn.”
Ken Newell said his mother was passionate about her family.
“Every time I called, she would have a story about what one of the grandkids or nieces and nephews were up to,” he said. “That was a big part of her life.”
Mrs. Newell is survived by her children, Kenneth J. Newell (Jennifer) of Virginia and Dorinda Ober (Steve) of Mt. Pleasant; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Saloom-Rega Funeral Home, 730 W. Main St. in Mt. Pleasant. A 3 p.m. parish wake service will be held at the funeral home, as well as a 7 p.m. service by TREA Chapter 98 Auxiliary.
A 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday in St. Pius X Catholic Church, 224 Summit St. in Mt. Pleasant. Entombment will follow in Westmoreland County Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorial donations can be made to Excela Health Home Care and Hospice, 501 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.