Zachary Heath Newton

Zachary Heath Newton, age 46, passed away unexpectedly on May 10, 2025 in Clemson, SC. He was born in Charleston, SC and is the eldest son of Janis & Nathan Newton, who both survive him. He is also survived by his beautiful daughter Sloane, his dear brothers Seth (Stacey) & Russ, his beloved nephews Baker & Alexander, & his best family member Labrador Retriever Bodhi. As a Christian of Methodist faith, Zach is now reunited in Heaven with his loving grandparents Jean & Nate Newton, Sr and Jean & Woody Marx, and Janis' brother Jim.

Zach grew up in Mt Pleasant, SC enjoying sports & local beaches. He attended James B Edwards Elementary, Moultrie Middle, & Wando High Schools. At Wando he excelled in baseball & football. He was an All Lowcountry Linebacker for Wando Coaches Dickey Dingle & Frankie Poole. He went on to attend Clemson University & walked onto the football team as a linebacker for Coaches Tommy West & Reggie Herring. After two seasons of football, Zach became very involved in rugby, playing for the Tigers & later for the Charleston Outlaws Rugby Football Club which achieved success multiple times in national playoff appearances during his career. With his athletic ability & dynamic personality Zach was selected to appear in numerous scenes of the acclaimed motion picture "Radio". Subsequently, he was offered further cinema opportunities which he decided not to pursue.

Zach really loved the outdoors & being on the water for both work & recreation. His early outdoor work included landscaping & dock building. Later he did utility line work. He also gained valuable nautical experience by serving as a first mate on a luxury yacht. Ultimately, working on the water became his occupational calling. He started out as a deck hand in maritime towing & then worked his way up to his goal of becoming a Tugboat Captain. For many years he so loved piloting boats in ports all the way from Florida to New York Harbor. When not working, his favorite recreational endeavors were waterfowl hunting, retriever training, surfing, paddle boarding, & physical conditioning.

Unfortunately, several years ago health conditions led to Cap'n Zach's early retirement from his tugboat career. He eventually decided to return to Clemson where he could reconnect with his favorite pastimes & oversee his family's upstate home year round. There, he was able to appreciate nature in the wonderful four seasons of the Blue Ridge Foothills & savor a very traditional place for his family to return to for ball games, lake outings, & making memories.

Life will not be the same without our Zach. We love him deeply & will miss him immeasurably. We admire his strength & fortitude. Many times in his life he put the well being of others ahead of his own. We are thankful that Zach is resting peacefully now & enjoying watching over his precious Sloane. His strong spirit lives on with us, & our many cherished memories of him will always be motivating for us.

On Thursday, May 29th the family will receive friends for remembering Zach's life in an informal gathering from 5 to 7 PM at the J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Rd. Around 6 PM Pastor Buster Brown will bring us together for spiritual words of encouragement & to offer others the opportunity to share their memories of Zach.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: http://www.gofundme.com/f/support-sloanes-future-in-zachs-memory. 

A memorial message may be sent to the family at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or www.jhenrystuhr.com.