Nora Retana Newberry

In Loving Memory of Nora Newberry

Ms. Nora Retana Newberry, age 70, of Harriman, TN passed away on Sunday July 19, 2026. She was born on September 20, 1955 in Mexico City, Mexico, to William Stoneman Newberry and Magdalena Retana Newberry. Ms. Nora was of the Catholic faith.

It is with heavy hearts that we remember and celebrate the life of Nora Newberry, a beloved member of the Michael Dunn Center family for more than 31 years. Nora touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. While Michael Dunn Center became her home for over three decades, her heart was always deeply connected to her family, especially her mother and loved ones in Mexico. She cherished every opportunity to travel and spend time with them, creating memories that she held close throughout her life.

Throughout her years at Michael Dunn Center, Nora received compassionate care and unwavering support from countless staff members who became like family. She also formed lasting friendships with fellow residents, sharing laughter, companionship, and a true sense of belonging. Her gentle spirit and the relationships she built enriched the lives of so many.

Nora leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience and the reminder that family is not only those we are born into but also those who walk beside us throughout life’s journey.

She will be deeply missed by her family in Mexico, her many friends, and the dedicated staff and residents of Michael Dunn Center who were honored to know and love her.

Message for Nora from her family in Mexico:

Nora Newberry was born in Mexico City in 1955 to William Stoneman Newberry and Magdalena Retana. When she was only a few days old she contracted pneumonia. She was immediately hospitalized, but she had already been deprived of oxygen to the brain. This affected her for the rest of her life. Although her learning difficulties meant that she was never able to read or write, she spoke perfect Spanish with a Mexican accent, and perfect English with and American accent. As a child she was happy and playful, frequently running around the house pretending to be a horse. She loved horses and wouldn’t miss an opportunity to ride one. She loved dogs too. The family had a Collie, which Nora named, of course…Lassie. She would go on long walks with Lassie, each looking after the other. Her other great loves, as she became a teenager, were riding her bike, dancing, and drawing. She would put on a record, and dance to perhaps The Beatles or The Monkees, or even Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass, she had a great sense of rhythm. All of Nora’s ancestors on her fathers side came from Tennessee, since the arrival of Stephen Newberry in 1720. By the time Nora was an adult she gravitated more and more toward Harriman, where her grandmother-also Nora Ellen York-lived with her sister Julie. Visits became more and more frequent until at one point she moved into the Michael Dunn Center.

She was greatly missed by her family, but we found comfort in the fact that she wanted to make that change in her life and was happy to live there.

There were many happy times for her in these thirty years she lived at Michael Dunn, many people that cared for her and were loving to her, like a second family.

We, her family, will always carry Nora in our hearts, and in our memory. She will always be our beloved daughter, sister, and aunt. God bless Nora, may she rest in peace.

Her memory will forever remain in our hearts

She is preceded in death by:

Father: William Stoneman Newberrry

Grandparents: William Stoneman Newberry & Nora York Newberry

Mariano Retana & Carmen Rubio Retana

She is survived by:

Mother: Magdalena Retana

Sister: Laura Newberry

Brother: Christopher Newberry (Frances Cox)

Aunt: Carmen Retana

Nephew: Pablo Newberry

Luke Newberry

Niece: Grisel Newberry (Luis Casarrubias)

Cousin: Daniel Orozco

Friend: Maritza Mercader

Special Caregiver and Friends: Linda Young, Carol Moore, Piper Medlock, Jonie Miller, Alexus Hamby, Makalee Barnes, Emma Crabtree, Katie Haigh, and Tonya Watts.

A celebration of life will be held Wednesday July 29, 2026 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm ET at Evans Mortuary in Rockwood. Funeral Service will follow at 2:00pm ET with Father Michael Sweeney officiating in the chapel of Evans Mortuary. Evans Mortuary is serving the family or Ms. Nora Retana Newberry