To view a livestream of the service, click here. Walter "Dean" Newton, 73, of Overland Park, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 12, 2024 at Sunrise Assisted Living. In 2019, Dean was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. In early 2024, it was determined that Dean was suffering from Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA) disease. He was born on March 22, 1951 to Walter and Thelmadean (Carter) Newton in McPherson, KS. Dean worked as a Cost Accountant for Sterling Drug as it transitioned through many different names and eventually ended up as a Production Planner for Pfizer, retiring in 2019. Dean met Susan Ball doing community theatre in 1974, and they were married on August 6, 1977. Together, they made their home in McPherson, KS where they lived for 42 years. In 2019, they moved to Overland Park, KS to be closer to their son, Michael, and his family. Dean enjoyed live theatre, music, gardening, and woodworking. He was quite the handyman and would always opt to fix it or build it himself rather than paying someone else. Dean's proudest title was "Papa." His granddaughters brought him so much joy and spending time with them was his favorite pastime. Dean is survived by his loving wife, Susan, his son, Michael (Chelsi) Newton, grandchildren, Amelia (9), Hailey (7), and Emery (3), and his sister, Carol (Newton) Peterson. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister Deanna (Newton) Botteri. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Brain Support Network, PO BOX 7264, Menlo Park, CA 94026, or visit www.brainsupportnetwork.org This donation will go towards further MSA research. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 24th at Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Olathe, KS at 3 PM, with visitation to follow from 4-5 PM. A Celebration of Life will be held in McPherson, KS on Friday, September 13th from 4:30 pm-8:00 pm at the Grand Ballroom of the McPherson Opera House. To leave a message for Dean's family, or to share a special memory, click on the "Share Memories" button above.