Newell Roylance Hadley

Newell Roylance Hadley, 49, passed away in Jacksonville on September 19, 2017. Born in Ogden, UT on October 18, 1967, he was the son of Keith Burton Hadley and Saima Roylance Hadley. Before moving to Jacksonville in 1998, he lived in Dallas, TX; Ogden, Utah; and Brasília and San Paulo, Brazil. He and his partner, Jose Manuel Morales, were together for 15 years; they married in 2015.

Newell will be cherished forever for the beautiful man he was: a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and son. He was an amazing friend and great listener who possessed a quirky sense of humor. There were no strangers around him, only friends he hadn’t yet met; he had a penchant for turning bad experiences into great stories. His smile and laughter lit up rooms and lives. He had an enduring fondness for amusement parks and movies, and he enjoyed creating Easter hats and playing pirate characters at parties and events.

He leaves behind countless people who care deeply about him. In addition to his husband and parents, Newell is survived by his daughter, Kahla Golden Nelson; stepsons Nestor Andres Morales and Gabriel Manuel Morales; grandsons Gavin Hadley, Grayson Hadley and Walker Nelson; lifelong friends Drew Edward Hunter and Micah Bitton; and siblings DanaLynn Chadwick, Tiffany Hadley, Keitha Sickler, Tammy Hadley, Nathan Roylance Hadley, Kamila Kelly and Nolan Roylance Hadley.

He will be honored with a celebration of his life at Sweet Pete's, which is where they were married.